Everything you need to know about the ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System standard
Time and time again, ISO standards have proven to be the cornerstone on which organisations have survived and even thrived. Moreover, ISO standards are developed with the aim of improving and simplifying the processes of small, medium and large enterprises.
Recent media reports have revealed a number of supply chain failures that threaten the health and safety of consumers. These shortcomings, coupled with the need for consumer safety, require additional tools to reduce and eliminate risks.
The ISO 22000:2018 standard – food safety management has been developed to ensure the safety of food chains globally, while enabling the creation of a food safety management system within organisations. In addition, ISO 22000:2018 – food safety management includes HACCP principles and requirements related to the safety of the entire food chain from the internal level of the organisation, to the relationship with suppliers and customers, storage conditions, access to information on food products/services supplied, etc.
Keeping food safe also involves the combined effort of every player in the food production chain, from farmers to consumers, and translates as follows: we all have to speak the same language and follow the same rules.
What is ISO 22000:2018 – food safety management?
ISO 22000:2018 – food safety management, is a food safety standard for businesses in the global food chain. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed ISO 22000:2018 – food safety management – requirements for any organization in the food chain.
ISO 22000:2018 also describes the requirements for a food safety management system and sets out the requirements that any organisation must meet to demonstrate that it can control food safety hazards. At the same time, ISO 22000:2018 is designed to ensure fair competition and easy communication between organisations in the food chain.
How does ISO 22000:2018 – food safety management – work?
ISO 22000:2018 – Food safety management provides a framework for organisations to use when creating and implementing a food safety management system. However organisations implementing the standard have a certain level of flexibility in how they create their system. At the same time, compliance with the standard is voluntary, although some organisations may require implementation of this standard before working with another organisation.
What criteria does your organisation need to meet to achieve ISO 22000:2018 certification – food safety management?
ISO 22000:2018 – Food safety management applies to all food businesses (responsible for producing, packaging, transporting, storing, serving and marketing food), regardless of their size and complexity.
What does the abbreviation “HACCP” stand for?
HACCP = Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
HACCP is a set of food safety quality management system principles developed in 1960 by NASA and a group of food safety specialists.
Given that each astronaut on Apollo 11 – the first manned mission to land on the moon – had only 73 cubic metres of space and no toilets, a system was needed to prevent astronauts from contracting various diseases transmitted by unsafe food while in orbit. Today, HACCP principles form the basis of global food safety plans. HACCP applies to processes throughout the food supply chain, including production, preparation, packaging and distribution, and is used to manage food safety in food businesses.
What do you need to know if you have achieved ISO 22000:2018 certification – food safety management?
In line with the organisation’s environmental policy, the expected results of the food safety management system include: ensuring hygienic product quality (food safety), extending product shelf life, reducing rejects and customer complaints, increasing opportunities to enter new markets.
What benefits will the implementation of ISO 22000:2018 – food safety management – bring to your organisation?
There are multiple reasons why an organisation should take a strategic approach to improving food safety.
Name a few:
- Improved health and safety: minimising food risks leads to improved health and safety outcomes for customers/end-consumers, employees and third parties who come into contact with the food on the market
- improved customer satisfaction: a robust food safety management system supports the delivery of products that meet customer expectations
- Increased transparency: the ISO 22000:2018 food safety management standard improves product traceability and provides transparency into the operations of the organisations involved
- Faster response to food risks – a food safety management system helps organisations react more quickly and effectively to issues that compromise food safety,
- helping them to stop potential contamination
Further details on other standards, here.
