ISO 22000 Certification – Food Safety Management System Certification

Food Safety Management System ISO 22000: 2018, was published in the year 2018 and has replaced the ISO 22000:2005 Standard.

This standard is applicable for Implementation to the organization, which is into the Food Supply Chain Business.  When any organization adopt to implement the ISO 22000:2018 for ISO 22000 Certification, it can help to improve the overall performance of the Food Safety of the organization, who are into the Food Supply Chain Business.

The meaning of Food Safety can be related to the presence of Food Safety Hazards (Physical, Chemical, and Biological Hazards) at the time of consumption of Food.  So, adopting the Food Safety Management System in the organization for implementation in the organization, the organization shall take adequate control, throughout the supply chain to prevent the Contamination of Food Safety Hazards.

Food Safety Principle

• Interactive Communication
• System Management
• Prerequisite Program
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
• Customer Focus
• Leadership
• Process Approach
• Engagement of People
• Improvement
• Evidence-based Decision
• Relationship Management

So, while adopting the Food Safety Management System implementation in the organization for Food Safety and ISO 22000 Certification. The organization shall adopt the Food Safety Principle. For Effectiveness of FSMS System in the organization.

This standard has adopted the

PDCA, Process Approach, and Risk base thinking approach.

Where PDCA is for continual Improvement

Risk-Based Thinking is adopted on the organizational level and operational level for preventing the occurrence of any potential negative effects so that organizations can marinating the Food Safety of product throughout the Food Supply Chain.

The concept of Risk base Thinking on the Operational Level is based on HACCP Principles.

ISO 22000 Standard is a Food safety management system specifies the requirements for an organization in the food chain to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe at the time of human consumption. The ISO 22000 certification that combines the key elements – interactive communication, system management, and HACCP principles to ensure food safety within the food chain, up to the point of final consumption. The FSMS standard integrates the requirements of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) principals and the applicable step of the HACCP principal. The key focus of this is standard to ensure that food is safe at the time of consumption. The organization shall achieve through effective food safety hazard analysis, implementation of PRP’s, HACCP plan, CCP, and establishing effective control measures. This FSMS Standard is generic and applicable to all organizations in the food chain regardless of size and complexity.

The requirements for the implementation of ISO 22000:2018 is provided in clause #4 to Clause # 10. So the organization seining for ISO 22000:2018 Certification will implement these clauses in the organization.

The summary of key requirements for understating is given below, the organization can refer the same for use or reference.

Which includes the requirement of – development, documentation, implementation of Food Safety Management System (FSMS) as per ISO 22000 certification requirement, define the scope of food safety management system and specify the Products or product categories, processes, and production sites which is covered under food safety management system.

Context of the organization

Where the organization shall identify the internal and external issues of the organization considering the context. which could be (But not limited)

• Legal,
• Technological,
• Competitive,
• Market,
• Cultural,
• Social and Economic environments,
• Cybersecurity and food fraud,
• Food defense and intentional contamination,
• Knowledge
• Performance of the organization, whether International, National, Regional, or Local.
• Considering the above-focused area, the organization shall identify the issues and address them or take into consideration for Risk analysis.

Needs and Expectations of interested parties

The organization shall identify the needs and expectations of the interested parties in the context of the Food safety management system. Where the organization can do the exercise by taking the Feedback, market survey, reviewing the expectations by communication with Interested Party, review of his website, taking inputs from meetings and seminars etc (but not limited)

Also, take these Needs and Expectations of interested parties as inputs for Risk analysis.

Policy – Food Safety Policy

The policy is the statement of top management for Food safety, which should have the Following Commitments

• satisfy applicable food safety requirements, including statutory and regulatory requirements and mutually agreed with customer requirements related to food safety
• continual improvement of the FSMS;

Also, Food Safety Policy address

• internal and external communication
• competencies related to food safety.

Actions to address risks and opportunities

When the organization is implementing Food Safety Management system in the organization, shall consider the followings

• Internal and External issues
• Needs and Expectation of Interested Party
• Scope and Applicability
• Allocable Legal and regulatory requirements
• Significant Food Safety Hazards

For the Risk Analysis, taking the control measure on a significant Risk area and to determine the Opportunity.  for maintaining the Food Safety system though out the Food Supply Chain.

Infrastructure

Maintain the infrastructure to meets the Food Safety Requirements and prevent contamination hazards

Work Environment

Maintain the work environment to meets the food safety requirements.

Control of externally provided processes, products or services

When the product, Process, and service provided by the supplier / any other organization, the organization shall have a proper system in place to

• Selection, Evaluation, Monitoring
• Communication of Food Safety requirements
• Ensure that processes, products or services supplied by an external organization meet the Food Safety requirement

Prerequisite programmes (PRPs)

The organization shall maintain and update PRP(s) to facilitate the prevention of contaminants food safety hazards in the products, product processing, and work environment.

At the Time of establishing the PRP te organization shall consider

• Lay-out of the organization
• supplies of air, water, energy in the organization
• Utilities of the organization including infrastructure, Machinery, Equipment etc
• pest control, waste and sewage disposal
• incoming materials, storage, dispatch, transportation, and handling of products;
• personal hygiene
• Sanitization, cleaning and disinfecting

Traceability system

Identification and Traceability system to be implemented in the organization from Raw Material, In-process Product, and Final Product. Which is help the organization to identify and recall, when there is any Food Safety issue identify. Also, it meets the regulatory Requirement. can also help to marinating the best before use time. So that Food Safety can be maintained at the time of consumption of Food.

Emergency preparedness and response

The organization shall develop the procedures to respond to potential emergency situations or incidents that can have an impact on food safety which are relevant to the role of the organization in the food chain.

Hazard control

Preliminary steps to enable hazard analysis

The organization shall collect and maintain the updated information, as preliminary steps of Hazard analysis

• Applicable Legal Regulatory and Customer requirements
• Organization’s Product, Process, Equipment
• Potential Hazards are relevant to the Food Safety of the organization.

Characteristics of raw materials, ingredients and product contact materials

The organization shall identify the raw materials, ingredients and product contact material and maintain the Followings, to support the Hazard analysis

• biological, chemical and physical characteristics
• composition of formulated ingredients, including additives and processing aids
• source (e.g. animal, mineral or vegetable);
• place of origin (provenance);
• method of production
• method of packaging and delivery
• storage conditions and shelf-life;
• preparation and/or handling before use or processing

Characteristics of end products

The organization shall maintain the Characteristics of end products to meets the Regulatory requirements, Identification and for Food safety Hazard Analysis

The Following Information be identified on End Products (But it is not Limited)

• product name
• composition
• shelf life and storage conditions
• labeling relating to food safety and/or instructions for handling, preparation, and intended use
• Date of Manufacturing, place, Best Before use.

Validation, Verification, And Improvement Of The Food Safety Management System

Which include the requirement of – Validation of control measure combinations, Control of monitoring and measuring, Food Safety Management System verification, improvement.

Benefits Of ISO 22000 Certification

• Minimize the Food safety Hazards contamination in food.
• Reduce the potential Food born diseases, which may cause due contamination of food.
• Improve Compliance level with applicable statutory and regulatory food safety requirements
• Effective communication on food safety issues to their suppliers, customers and relevant interested parties in the food chain
• Improve the business potential among the competitor.
• Improve the confidence of customer and interested party.
• Reduce wastage of raw materials & time
• Improved Operation control towards employee health and safety.
• Improve food safety during an emergency situation.
• Improve the identification, traceability, and product recall system.
• Improve the credibility of the product among the customer
• Overall Improvement of organization reputation in the market.
• Business opportunities improved.

Applicant Organization Shall Ensure The Followings Prior To ISO 22000 Certification (Food Safety Management System Certification)

• The organization has implemented the Food Safety Management System in the organization as per the requirements of ISO 22000 standard. Established the Food safety Quality Manual, Food Safety Policy, relevant procedures, and SOP’S.
• Conducted one complete cycle Food Safety Management System Internal Audit.
• Conducted at least one Management review meeting on Food Safety Management System

ISO 22000 – Food Safety Management System Certification Process

• Application review and contract Sign up between UK Certification and Assessment Ltd and applicant organization.
• Stage-1 Audit.
• Stage-2 Audit.
• Certification decision

• Issue of certificate.
• Surveillance audit (annually or Half yearly as finalized during application review process and agreed by client).
• Re-Certification Audit (within three years before expiry of certificate).