The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) began developing an auditable standard for a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) in 2001. On the 1st of September 2005, ISO 22000:2018, the international FSMS standard was officially released. It is a framework that sets the criteria for Food Safety Management Systems by combining precondition programs, the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s Hazard analysis, and critical control points (HACCP) principles and application processes, and parts of the ISO 9001:2000 standard.
ISO 22000:2005 approaches food safety by considering the entire food chain. It establishes a set of broad food safety management rules that apply to all organisations involved in the food supply chain, not just to food producers and manufacturers. The Standard was updated and now allows for increased integration of various ISO standards. The requirements allow for a simpler understanding and implementation of the standard, they now follow specific Codex steps, so the development of the HACCP is now embedded within the Standard. It has a new approach to managing risk and it now follows a step-by-step process. ISO 22000:2018 applies to all entities in the food chain whose primary goal is to guarantee food safety. Within three years, organisations in more than 50 countries have adopted the standard as an alternative to more than 20 food safety systems devised by specific corporations in the industry for monitoring their suppliers.
How you and your organisation can benefit
This standard will assist your company in a variety of ways. It provides greater transparency by, on the one hand, decreasing primary food hazards and, on the other, providing better security to all customers. ISO 22000:2018 certification can result in:
- Effective management and communication.
- Guarantees in quality, dependability, and safety.
- Reduction of the expense of withdrawals or recalls.
- Increased brand loyalty and credibility.
- Increased trust.
- Fewer food-borne illnesses.
- High-quality, safer work in the food business.
- More efficient use of resources.
- Improved food safety hazard control.
- Better managing prerequisite programs in a systematic manner.
- Control focused on priorities.
- Assistance in preserving resources by eliminating redundancy.
- Improved planning results in less post-process verification.
- Establishment and maintenance of a food safety management system.
Being certified to ISO 22000:2018
The ISO 22000:2018 Standard was developed for enterprises that want to create a more focused, coherent, and integrated FSMS. The standard demands that its food safety system fulfils any applicable food safety-related legislative and regulatory standards. Being certified to ISO 22000:2018 enables a company to demonstrate to its clients that it has a food safety management system in place. This increases client trust in the product. This is becoming increasingly crucial as customers expect safe food while food processors seek safe ingredients from their sources. ISO 22000:2018 specifies standards for Food Safety Management System processes and procedures, as well as the implementation of prerequisite programs and HACCP by the organisation. ISO 22000:2018 does not specify any Prerequisite Programs (PRPs), but it does demand that the organisation identifies and implements the required programs. This makes it more adaptable, and any type of food organisation may implement and be certified to ISO 22000:2018.
What does an ISO 22000 system require?
The creation of an FSMS provides a proactive, methodical, and rational strategy for addressing food safety issues. The standard’s structure is like that of current International Standards. This common method allows enterprises to integrate a single management system that fulfils the requirements of two or more distinct management system standards (ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 27001:2013, ISO 45001:2018, and ISO 22301:2019).
ISO 22000:2018 requires that you have a documented system in place that is fully implemented throughout your organisation that includes:
- Effective prerequisite programs in place to provide a clean, hygienic workplace
- HACCP is designed to detect, mitigate, and eliminate food safety hazards.
- Implemented established food safety management system processes to manage food safety within your organisation, from management and operational planning of day-to-day communication to operations influencing food safety.
The ISO 22000:2018 standard comprises the specific requirements to be addressed by the Food Safety Management System. The standard requires processes including:
- Having an overarching food safety policy created by top management.
- Establishing goals that will motivate the company’s efforts to comply with the safety policy.
- Planning and creating a management system, as well as documenting it.
- Keeping records of the system’s performance.
- Putting together a group of trained people to form a food safety team.
- Establishing communication protocols to guarantee successful communication with key contacts outside the organisation (regulatory, customers, suppliers, and others), as well as good internal communication.
- Having a contingency plan.
- Conducting management review meetings to assess the FSMS’s effectiveness.
- Providing suitable resources for the effective operation of the FSMS, such as suitably educated and competent employees, provision of adequate infrastructure, and a safe working environment.
- Implementation of Prerequisite Programs.
- Adherence to HACCP principles.
- Creating a traceability system for product identification.
- Implementing a corrective action mechanism and maintaining control over nonconforming products.
- Maintaining a written protocol for dealing with product withdrawal.
- Operating monitoring and measurement equipment.
- Creating and sustaining an internal audit program.
- Continual updating and improvement of the FSMS.
It is critical to guarantee that food is safe to eat. This entails always maintaining quality and safety controls not only on the day of an audit but at all phases of production. Developing a culture that promotes continuous improvement does not have to be tough if you understand regulatory duties and how they are met.
WWISE has assisted several organisations with their FSMS, and we can assist you in preparing for and maintaining certification. We also provide staff training in areas like communication and system administration, as well as HACCP and more. Our training is delivered in a variety of methods such as e-learning, face-to-face training, and virtually. It may be customised to meet the goals and objectives of your organisation. WWISE can assist with getting you certified, contact us now on 086 109 9473 or email admin@wwise.co.za for assistance. You can also contact us on 021 525 9159 (Cape Town).