Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R:

Assertion A: Traditionally, the food industry, and particularly the food processing sector, has relied on the use of GMPs in its efforts to ensure that the cost is cut down.
Reason R: Most of these GMPs are used by many national governments worldwide for monitoring the safety of consumer foods and for inspection of establishments that process, package, handle, and store foods.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is D

· GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) are not primarily aimed at cutting costs. Their main objective is to ensure food safety, quality, and hygiene during food production and processing.
· Therefore, Assertion A is false — the primary goal of GMPs is not cost reduction, although following them may incidentally improve efficiency.
· Reason R is true — GMPs are indeed used globally by national governments as a regulatory framework to monitor food safety and to inspect food processing facilities for compliance.
Information Booster:
· GMPs are a key part of food safety systems such as HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) and are mandated by food laws in many countries.
· These guidelines address issues like sanitation, personnel hygiene, equipment maintenance, and storage conditions, all aiming to ensure consumer safety — not cost cutting.