The purpose of this article is to address the quality assurance challenges for local governments in long-term elderly care. The research is based on the qualitative approach. Theoretical approach is based on active aging ideas and quality assurance principles. Authors have started analysis on how to adapt the quality principles of European Quality Framework for Long-Term Care Services in the Latvian elderly long-term care institutions. The experts’ view on evaluation is one of the methods of how to assess the quality principles in long-term care for elderly. The research results show different approaches to quality assurance principles and evaluation at the level of local and central government and the necessity to move towards a unified understanding. Experts emphasised the necessity to discuss quality principles in long-term care institutions and the division of responsibility for elderly care between the local and central government. The main findings are that none of the experts would like to spend the rest of their life, when they reach an old age, in a long-term institution. Principle ranking was successfully used in semi-structured expert interviews. The results show a great extent of variety in evaluating the quality principles of European Quality Framework for Long-Term Care Services in Latvian elderly long-term care institutions.

With the growing demand for e-learning, as well with the striving for excellence, everyone worldwide is encouraged to improve and ensure the quality of e-learning. Quality assurance requires a supportive environment. The purpose of this paper is to propose procedures for evaluating and controlling the quality of e-learning materials. The article reflects on the approach, which is often mentioned in the field of quality assurance, procedures that characterize the processes, helps to sort them, track their progress sequence and identify those responsible. Clearly, the quality of online learning has many dimensions, but this article deals only with the part that relates to the quality of e-learning materials. In January 2018, experts from European Distance Education Secondary School, Riga Distance Education Secondary School and Riga 1st Distance Education Secondary School were interviewed. The questionnaire included questions about the quality assessment of the study materials. Based on the findings of scientific research literature and taking into account the good practice, procedures for the quality control of electronic learning materials were created. The article offers four procedures that include the use of a web-based checklist developed by the author. Activities of procedures can be divided into areas of responsibility that deal with developers of the material, methodological commission, material evaluators and IT administrator. Distance learning program implementers can use the proposed procedures in the process of making and monitoring electronic learning materials. In addition, the checklist helps to identify important conditions and requirements that affect the quality of the study material.

Meat products play an important role in the human diet. They are one of the main sources of proteins, trace elements, structural components, as well as vitamins that stimulate human growth and physical activity. Raw meat refers to perishable food. There are many methods of preserving the quality and shelf-life of meat products, however, in recent years, freeze-drying is becoming more and more popular, and it combines two technological steps — freezing and vacuum drying. During the process, the product undergoes dehydration by removing water to a humidity level of 2–5%. The principle of the process involves transforming the product from a frozen phase to a gaseous phase, bypassing the liquid phase. The purpose of the article is to study the possibility and relevance of the freeze-drying process in the meat industry and to examine its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the probability of growth. During this research it was revealed that in the use of freeze-drying in the meat industry for certain purposes, it is still necessary to study and adjust in order to introduce it into a particular production. However, with regard to large enterprises where various production problems often arise this technology would not only help solve these problems, but also increase the range of innovative products and expand sales markets.