Quality assurance in the Malaysian food and beverage industry involves systematically monitoring processes from farm to table to ensure products are safe and meet standards. This includes training employees, documenting procedures, and conducting audits to evaluate compliance with standards set by regulatory bodies. Ayamas Food Cooperation is provided as an example of a company that successfully implements quality assurance through controls at each stage of its chicken production process and certification from the Department of Veterinary Services. Implementing quality assurance allows companies to compete effectively in markets and gain customer trust by producing safe, high quality products.

1. Assignment18Oct 2021
QUESTION:
Describe whatyouunderstandof QualityAssurance inaMalaysianfood& beverage example (10
marks)
In the foodand beverage industry,qualityassurance isaprocessthat includessystematic
monitoring,improvingthe qualityorstandardsof the processby whichthe productis developed,
and assessingmanyaspectsof the productionsysteminthe foodchain"fromfarmto table"to
ensure thatthe productsare hygienicandsafe toconsume and thatcustomershave confidence in
the product.
The thoughtprocessbehindthisisthatif the processiscorrect and robust,the endproductthat is
developedusingthisprocesswill have aminimal defect,andthe qualityof the productwill be
consistentandistherefore essential tobusinessperformance.
Qualityassurance includestakingthe time todothingsright,training the employees, documenting
processes,auditandreassessment.Allof these are conformance activitiesthatfall underprevention
costs.These costs shouldbe consideredaninvestmentthatwill payoff throughfewerdefectsand
non-conformance incidentsthatcanbe muchmore expensive.
An auditcouldbe conductedtoassessprocessestoensure thattheyare efficientandappropriate,
as well asto guarantee thatemployeesare followingprotocols. Auditsare acritical tool for quality
assurance and are used to evaluate the actionssothat the objectivesandstandardsare met.
Those standards requirementinthe systemforthe foodmanufactures inMalaysiaincludes Hazard
AnalysisandCritical Control Point(HACCP), GoodManufacturingPractice (GMP),Sanitation
StandardOperatingProcedures(SOPs),GoodVeterinaryHygienicPractices(GVHP),Veterinary
HealthMark (VHM),Halal Certification etc. All of these standard requirementsare necessaryto
ensure thatthe products are hygienicand safe toconsume and thatcustomershave confidence in
the product. In thisway,industryplayerscancompete healthilywhilebeingable toelevate the
qualityof Malaysiafoodandbeverage industrytoa higherlevel.
Amongthe regulatorybodies involvedinthe fieldof foodqualityassurance isfromthe Department
of VeterinaryServices (DVS) whichprovidescertificationandrecognitiononanimal -basedfood
productsthroughVeterinary HealthMark(VHM) and Good Veterinary HealthPractice (GVHP)
certification.The productsthathave thiscertificate,are recognizedbyDVSasdisease-free,safe,
cleanto eat.Amongthe well-knowncompaniesproducinganimal-basedfoodproductsthathave
receivedrecognitionfromthisbodyare AyamasFoodCooperation (AFC) andRamlyFoodProcessing
Sdn.Bhd. Throughthisrecognition,productscanbe exportedabroadandgetgood consumer
demandandacceptance. In return,itincreasesthe performance andrevenue of the company.
AyamasFoodCooperation(AFC) isagoodexample of companythat produce products“fromfarm to
table”and operatesinaccordance withGoodManufacturing Practices(GMP) requirementsandhas
a HACCP andISO 9001:2000 systemsinplace withinits’QualityManagement System(QMS).Itisthe
firstcompanyinMalaysiato breed,processandretail halal chicken-basedproducts. Theirprocessing
plantinPort Klang,Selangor,whichhasbeenoperatingsince 1989, has an onsite ISO/IEC17025
accreditedmicrobiologylaboratoryandwasthe firsttoreceive the VeterinaryHealthMark(VHM)
logofromthe Departmentof VeterinaryServices(DVS)inMalaysia.Hence, thiscompanyhas100%
control at each and everystage of its’processesrangingfrombreeding,hatching,slaughtering,
processing,packaginganddistribution.

2. Thus,they have control and able to make sure theirraw materialsare accordingto theirstandards,
theymake sure theirraw materialsorproducts ina properstorage, andall the toolsandequipment
are cleanand functionaccordingly, theyhave the resourcestotraintheiremployees andimprove on
the qualityof its’products.Theyalso workon improvingcurrentproductsand innovatingnew
productsto meetits’consumers’expectations.
In conclusion,inordertocompete inthe marketand gainrecognitionasa high-qualityproduct
throughregulatorybodies'certification,aMalaysianfoodandbeverage companymustimplement
qualityassurance inproductprocessing.Itthusaddsvalue totheirproductsand buildscustomers'
trust,allowingthem growandsustainin a largermarket.
NorzielaBinti Anuar(GS61337)
Master of Food SafetyandQualityAssurance,UPM