ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000
ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000
ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000
How does ISO 22000 compare with other food safety standards?
You can think of ISO 22000 as a standard that takes the approach
of ISO 9001 as a management system, incorporates the hygiene
measures of Prerequisite programs, and adds HACCP principles and
criteria. You now have the best of the management system
approach added to the well established PRP and HACCP programs.
Build your food safety management system based on ISO 22000
and you will benefit from the best of both worlds- a management
system approach combined with the best food safety practices.
As stated earlier, there are many existing food safety standards, but
they vary widely in content, levels, and evaluation. To sell in a
global food market, an internationally consistent standard is a
benefit to everyone. So what is required in order to be ISO or FSSC
22000 registered?
First of all, management must support the effort. They will need to
be providing the resources required to build and maintain this Food
Safety Management System (FSMS). Once you have management
commitment you will need to design and document the system.
Start with your food safety policy and quality objectives. The policy
must state your commitment to quality, and the quality objectives
must support it.
The FSMS requires that you establish a food safety team and team
leader. This team will have many responsibilities in building and
maintaining the FSMS and must have the knowledge and skills to
fulfill the responsibilities. Consider the make up of this team
carefully.
The food safety team will then create and implement a Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Point plan (HACCP Plan) for each
product or process. The HACCP plan starts with some preliminary
steps such as identifying product characteristics, describing
intended use, preparing flow diagrams and describing process
steps. The team uses this information to identify hazards that can
be expected to occur, determine acceptable levels of the hazard and
select control measures. The team identifies the control point where
the hazard can be controlled, and the specific step that needs to be
taken to successfully control the hazard. The plan for controlling
the hazard must be documented and include the hazard to be
controlled, the control measure, critical limits, how the control
point will be monitored, corrections and corrective actions to be
taken if limits are exceeded, responsibilities and authorities and
required records.
The food safety team will also establish a plan for verification
activities to ensure that the PRPs are implemented, inputs to hazard
analysis are updated, the operational PRPs and HACCP plan are
implemented and effective and the hazard levels are within limits.
Verification activities make sure the HACCP system is in compliance.
If you are already in the food industry, and providing a safe food
product or service, you most likely have many of these practices in
place even though they may not be formally documented. Adding
the effectiveness of a documented food safety management system
will provide your company not only the benefits of recognition of
having a management system in place, but also the benefits of
quality management and the security of producing safe product for
your customers. Take your system to the next level with a 22000
Food Safety Management System.