Book excerpt: 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'. While it may be true that a balanced diet is a prerequisite for good health, how good is what we eat and drink every day? And is it actually possible to fulfil every customer desire with the vast array of foodstuffs on offer? BSE, dioxin in eggs, EHEC sprouts: in the light of repeated food safety crises, the issue of quality assurance as well as customer-oriented quality management has become of prime importance for the agri-food industry. This sector features highly complex value-added chains, which means that quality deficiencies or contaminations can quickly lead to far-reaching problems with serious consequences for consumers and businesses. What can be done to reduce this vulnerability to crises? The only solution is to establish systematic methods of quality management which will facilitate the establishment and protection of high standards across companies. This book will show which methods are available and how they can reasonably be used. The authors present an easy-to-read guide which not only includes the most important legal provisions, standards and accreditation and certification procedures, but also develops practical quality assurance strategies and shows how they can be implemented within the agri-food industry.