It is only in the past few years that most retailers have taken specific interest in the actual production or growing of basic products such as meat and other produce. The food scares of the late 1980s including BSE in cattle, pesticides in produce and the control of Salmonella in chickens and eggs has emphasized the need for both retailers and manufacturers to control and monitor these building blocks of the food chain. Tesco ensures that manufacturers meet all criteria necessary to produce consistent high quality safe legal food by ensuring that they adhere to the criteria set down in the Tesco Quality Management Manual.

The manual emphasizes the need for training in both hygiene and competency in the work place, the control of raw materials and the use of HACCP as the cornerstone of producing safe foods. It requires the use of internal audits by the manufacturer to show that this system works. In addition, Tesco approves all new suppliers, issues codes of good manufacturing practice, and product specification and monitors adherence to the quality management system by the use of audits at a level dependent on the product and the supplier's past performance.

However, quality management cannot be seen simply as involving only the manufacturer. Tesco have incorporated the HACCP concept into both our distribution and retail systems. In excess of 25 000 staff have been through an examinable basic food hygiene course and all staff are provided with a wide range of documentation to ensure total understanding of their important rôle in the food chain. Again for both distribution and retail, auditing programmes have been organized.

The consumer can and does play an important and crucial rôle in maintaining product quality and safety. Tesco aims to assist this by both accurate and informative packaging and a wide range of leaflets at communication centres.