ABSTRACT
This chapter is an overview of the food and nutritional supplement industry. Why an overview for readers already employed in the food industry? Because both the food and nutritional supplement industry are diverse, exceptionally large, and specialized; the different permutations of even a simple food product are staggering. The USDA food “plate” (formerly the pyramid) is simple (Figure 2.1):
• Grains • Vegetables • Fruits • Milk • Meats and beans
But from this straightforward food plate there are an almost infinite number of food products from a huge large manufacturing base, and there are different forms of each standard product, for example, standard, organic, kosher, fresh, dry, frozen, canned, prepackaged meals, low sodium, and cultural taste adjustments to deal with ethnic micro-markets. The natural characteristics of the food product being processed can influence the processing and skills of the manufacturing staff, for example, acidic ingredients. If you were a regulatory enforcement professional, life wouldn’t be easy.
