FST 109: Quality Assurance Lecture Notes

Vocabulary terms and definitions from FST 109 covering quality definitions, dimensions, QA/QC tools, sampling methodologies, sensory testing, and auditing procedures.

Quality Assurance

A term describing the control, evaluation, and audit of a food production system; a strategic management function that establishes policies, adapts programs to meet goals, and provides confidence to management and customers.

Quality Control (QC)

A series of analytical measurements used to assess the quality and safety of the products.

Manufacturing based quality

One of the three definitions of quality focusing on conformance to specifications during the production process.

Value based quality

One of the three definitions of quality that considers the relationship of quality to price.

User based quality

One of the three definitions of quality based on the degree to which a product meets the needs and preferences of the consumer.

Dimensions of quality

The characteristics used to evaluate quality, including Design, Conformance, Performance, Features, Reliability, Durability, Serviceability, Aesthetics, and Perceived quality.

QA programs

A set of controls implemented and verified at each step of the production chain, such as GMP, GAP, GLP, HACCP, and PC.

ISO 9000 series

A set of Quality System Management Standards (QMS) covering requirements for planning, documenting information, and product realization from design to delivery.

Plan-Do-Check Act circle

A model used in product realization as part of the requirement for Quality Management Systems.

Quality circles

Also known as steering committees, these are voluntary groups of workers sharing areas of responsibility who aim to solve problems or improve working conditions.

Seven management and planning tools

A collection of tools including Affinity Diagram, Interrelationship diagram, Tree diagram, Prioritization matrices, Matrix diagram, Process decision program chart, and Activity network diagram.

Seven quality control tools

Basic tools for analysis including Check sheet, Pareto chart, Cause and effect diagram (fishbone), Histogram, Scatter diagram, Flowchart, and Control Charts.

Sampling

A procedure used to draw inferences about the parent population from the results obtained from collected samples.

Classes of Defects

The categorization of product failures into three levels: Critical, Major, and Minor.

Measurable variables

Sample types that can be quantified, such as Moisture ($\%$ in water), Iron ($mg$ of $Fe$ per pound), Sugar, Pigment ($ppm$ carotene), and Hydrogen ion concentration.

Countable Variables

Sample types based on attributes such as presence or absence, satisfactory or unsatisfactory, go or not-go, and right or wrong.

Simple Random Sampling

A method of taking samples from a population that includes simple random and systemic random techniques.

Stratified random Sampling

A specific method of sampling where the population is divided into subgroups before selecting samples.

Sampling frequency general rule

If a quality variable remains acceptable for a period of $P$ units, the frequency of sampling should be no longer than $P$ units.

Sensory testing

The evaluation of texture, color, size, density, aroma, and other factors using human senses, often used in raw material evaluation and process control.

Monadic testing

A type of sensory testing where a single product is evaluated at a time.

Difference Threshold

A specific type of sensory threshold test alongside Absolute, Recognition, Terminal, and Rejection thresholds.

Audit

A systematic and independent examination of records and documents to ascertain if information provides a true view of the concern.

Internal audit

An in-house audit focusing on quality and improvement, conducted on a regular basis by trained employees within the QA department.

External audit

A third-party examination of an organization's records and quality systems.

First party audit

A class of audit performed internally by the organization on itself.

Verification

An assessment evaluating the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions, which must be conducted by a different individual than the person who performed the original audit.

Audit management

A step in audit execution involving meetings with company representatives to understand processes and verify system control measures.