Food plays a critical role in determining health and productivity, necessitating the consumption of safe and wholesome food. Unsafe food leads to significant public health issues, highlighted by statistics showing high incidences of food-borne illnesses among children in India. The increasing variety of processed foods and the rise in eating out lead to higher contamination risks. Technological advancements, consumer demands, and globalization have made food safety and quality paramount. This section explains key concepts such as food safety, quality, hazards, contamination, and the role of national and international food standards, emphasizing the need for effective management systems to facilitate food safety.