What Is Meant By Validation and Verification In The Food Industry

Welcome! I’m Oskar from Q Technical Consultancy and in today’s video, I’ll discuss what is meant by validation and verification in the food industry!

In the realm of food safety, the terms “validation” and “verification” are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion. However, these two concepts are distinct and play crucial roles in ensuring the production of safe and high-quality food products.

▶️ Validation: Demonstrating Effectiveness Validation is the process of demonstrating that a process, product, or equipment is capable of consistently producing a safe and high-quality product as per the specified requirements. It focuses on the design and development of the food safety system, ensuring that the system is capable of effectively controlling identified hazards.

▶️ Verification: Confirming Implementation Verification, on the other hand, is the process of confirming that the validated food safety system is being implemented effectively on an ongoing basis. It focuses on the application and operation of the system, ensuring that it is being followed as intended and achieving the desired outcomes.

▶️ The primary distinction between validation and verification lies in their timing and focus:

• Validation occurs before the implementation of the food safety system. It answers the question: “Will it work?”

• Verification occurs after the implementation of the food safety system. It answers the question: “Does it work?”

▶️ Let’s consider two practical examples:

👉Example 1: Cooking Chicken

• Validation: During validation, we would determine the time and temperature required to cook chicken to ensure the elimination or significant reduction of harmful pathogens. This involves scientific literature review, experimental studies, or mathematical modelling.

• Verification: Once the cooking process is validated, verification activities would include monitoring core temperatures, checking equipment calibration, ensuring employee training, and reviewing records. These activities confirm that the validated process is being followed and achieving the desired outcome.

👉Example 2: HACCP System

• Validation: Validation of a HACCP system involves reviewing scientific data, conducting trials, and consulting experts to confirm that the identified critical control points (CCPs) are effective in controlling potential hazards.

• Verification: Verification of a HACCP system involves conducting internal audits, reviewing CCP monitoring records, and assessing the effectiveness of corrective actions taken in response to deviations. These activities ensure that the HACCP system is being implemented effectively and achieving its intended purpose. Validation and verification are essential components of food safety management systems. By establishing the effectiveness of food safety controls and confirming their consistent implementation, these processes contribute to the production of safe and high-quality food products, protecting consumer health and enhancing consumer confidence in the food industry. 

If you need more details or would like to attend a validation or verification course,

If you need more details please contact us. If you would like more info on our validation courses, you can visit our course pages BRCGS Validation & Verification and STC Combined HACCP & Food Safety Advanced Level 4 where we also delve into the topics of Validation and Verification and how it applies to the food safety plan. Or if you need help with your validation studies please visit the QTC website.

 If you like this video, please SUBSCRIBE and don’t forget to press the bell 🔔, 👍like, comment and share!

 #validationandverification #foodsafetyindustry #foodeducation #foodindustry #foodsafety #verification #validation