Food Safety and Competencies of Laboratory Employees in Organic Food Processing

Abstract

Abstract Food safety means all the conditions that have to be met and actions that have to be taken at all stages of food production or sales to protect human health and life. Studies have demonstrated that organic food is considered by consumers to be healthier and safer than conventional food produced by means of intensive farming methods. In this context, the interest in organic food among both consumers and distributors is increasing. This means that there are many factors determining organic food production. Among them are those related to competencies that affect product safety, which represents a guarantee that the enterprise will achieve market success and is one of the sources of competitiveness for such enterprises. Therefore, the aim of the study was to present assessment of soft competencies of laboratory employees by their immediate superiors. The problem was identified more closely as a case study of the corporation that produces organic foods, whereas assessment of competencies was compared to the specific features of the food sector the enterprise operates in, with the examples of the branches located in Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania.