Food Quality Specifications

Food-quality specifications are set by the World Food Programme to ensure the safety of those to whom the food is delivered. The World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest agency in the world engaging in the fight against hunger. As part of the United Nations, the WFP deals with food quality and safety with regard to the selection, purchasing, and storing of food as well as transporting and distributing the food to those who are in need.

Food Quality Specifications

• Specifications, in the general sense, are a set of written and easily understood guidelines that determine what is and is not acceptable. With regard to food quality, these specifications are set to ensure consumers do not get food that contains harmful substances, such as chemicals and pesticides, or harmful organisms, such as salmonella or e. coli. The food specifications are set for each different type of food, as well as preparation processes such as "Halal" and "Kosher."

Grains & Flours

• Grains include cereals and the subcategory "Flours," defined by the WFP as a "fine powder made from cereals." Grains include maize (corn), rice, wheat, and sorghum, while flours include maize meal, wheat flour, and whole-wheat flour. Each product is broken down further into smaller categories for the most specific guidelines possible. Maize is divided into Flint maize and popcorn, Dent corn, flour corn, and waxy maize. They are then divided by the region from which they originate such as Argentina, Europe, Mexico, Africa, and the U.S.

Pulses (Legumes)

• Pulses are a group of legumes that produce one to 12 seeds per pod and are often used for humans as well as animals. Pulses are purely dry grains; peas and green beans are excluded from this category. Certain products used for oils, such as soy beans and peanuts, are also excluded. The Pulse group is subdivided into Beans, Peas, and Lentils. Beans include Sira White, Red Pea, Mung, and Ethiopian Red. Lentils include Green Laird, Red Split, and Yellow Split. Peas include Yellow Split, Turkish Chick Pea, and Nepal Chick Pea. Each subcategory is divided into different types and specifications for each are provided. For example, under Beans, Chinese Beans (including white, black, speckled, red, and small red) are defined to have 15 percent maximum moisture, 3.5 percent maximum damage, and 0.5 percent maximum foreign matter when produced. The cooking time is specified to take 60 to 90 minutes after soaking the dried beans in water for 24 hours.

Fortified Blended Foods (FBF)

• Fortified Blended Foods (FBF) are required to contain adequate calories and protein, listed as 400 calories and 15 grams of protein per 100 gram serving. These are fortified with various nutrients, specifically micronutrients, which are important when such nutrients cannot be consumed through the available food sources in a people's diet. These FBFs are precooked, making them easy to prepare with limited resources. They are also relatively easy for young children and toddlers to consume. The FBF group is subdivided into Corn-Soy-Blend (CSB Plus), CSB Plus w/Sugar, CSB Plus Plus (which includes milk and sugar), Corn-Soya-Blend (CSB Plus COUNTRY), and Wheat-Soy-Blend (WSB Plus). For each subdivision, fortification guidelines and production specifications are listed.

Biscuits

• Biscuits, defined by the WFP as "small baked bread or cake," are divided by country of origin or type, with each listing specifications and fortification guidelines, and packaging guidelines for most. Bangladesh, India, India for Export and Indonesia are listed, as well as WFP High Energy Biscuits and Date Bars (for Iraq and Palestine). Specifications include the energy or calories per 100 gram serving, as well as required protein, fat, carbohydrate, moisture, and other specifications. "Other" includes fiber and other nutritional components.

Oils

• Oils include many common cooking and food production oils such as vegetable and animal fats. Specific guidelines are set for Palmolein, Rapeseed, Soybean and Sunflower oils, which include refining and fortification guidelines. Coconut oil, Cotton Seed oil, Flax Seed oil, as well as Vegetable Ghee are also included in the oils section with their own guidelines. The oils category includes guidelines for packaging products, which provides specifications for a variety of containers and pictures to clarify.

Fish & Meat

• Fish and meat are divided into Fish, Beef, and Chicken, with Fish subdivided into Fish in oil and Fish in tomato sauce. Beef is subdivided into canned beef or veal. The specifications with meat and fish products include temperatures at which these foods must be pressurized when packaged and the methods of canning or preserving the meat and fish products for optimum safety.

Noodles and Miscellaneous

• Noodles are divided into dried noodles and instant noodles, with guidelines for composition (ingredients), fortification (micronutrients), and packaging. Miscellaneous includes milk, salt, sugar, tea, and dates. Milk is in the form of powder, with specifications including the nutritional limitations, manufacturing guidelines, age requirements for recipients, and other information for controlling the quality of the dried milk products. Salt is regarding iodized salt, and includes specifications for production, packaging, and fortifying the product; sugar is white table sugar. Green and black teas have guidelines for quality control and packaging, as do the Dates. Dates are not a "regular commodity" distributed by the WFP but because they can be distributed at times, there are appropriate specifications for them.

Shelf-Life, Therapeutic Foods, and Special Preparations

• In addition to the guidelines for quality control, shelf-life guidelines are also provided: the length of time a food may safely keep in its packaging before it should be thrown away. Therapeutic foods include items such as Ensure or similar nutrient-fortified foods or beverages for malnourished or elderly populations. These foods may also be for emergencies. Criteria for labeling foods, such as labeling a food "HALAL", are detailed as well, to ensure that those who receive the food are guaranteed the quality they expect from such labels. The same would go for "Kosher" labels and other similar categorizations.