Developing a quality index and an evaluation indicator system for the National Food Safety Standard Framework in China.

Abstract

International Organization for Standardization and Codex Alimentarius Commission emphasized the importance of evaluating and monitoring food safety. National food safety standard framework (NFSSF)-a generic term for all national food safety standards of China-is an important part of the country's food control system implemented over ten years. To evaluate NFSSF, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment developed a quality index with an indicator scale. This study assessed this index with a three-layer evaluation indicator system (NFSSFeis) based on three dimensions, namely, scientific nature, relevance, and coordination, using 10 s-layer indicators weighed with the Delphi method. We conducted a pilot survey to test the scale built based on NFSSFeis. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that items in the scale have acceptable reliability and validity. With the development of the NFSSFeis, future research is needed to refine this instrument.