ISO 22000 is a generic food safety management system standard that defines a set of general food safety requirements applicable to all organizations in the food chain.

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ISO 22000 is an effective framework for the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of a Food Safety Management System (FSMS). ISO 22000 standards are applicable to organizations directly or indirectly involved in the food supply (from “farm to table”) including suppliers of non-food products and services such as cleaning,

equipment manufacturers and transport companies. ISO 22000 uses a flexible approach to allow organizations to develop a FSMS designed for its particular suppliers, customers and relevant parties.

 

The standard combines well-recognized key elements ensuring food safety all the way to the point of final consumption: interactive communication; hazard analysis and control - compliance to HACCP principles; system management with continual improvement; and process control.

 

Today’s customer more than ever demands to know where food has come from and the measures for its safety. This means the entire food chain, producers and suppliers must meet a growing number of food safety standards such as HACCP and International Food Standard (IFS), as well as broader initiatives like the Global Food Safety Initiative for European Retailers.

 

Since ISO 22000 is a generic food safety management standard, it can be used by any organization directly or indirectly involved in the food chain, regardless of how complex or what size the organization may be. ISO 22000 can help ensure the safety of its food products. 

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ISO 22000 can be used by: (not an exhaustive list)

 

Primary Producers

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• Farms

• Ranches

• Fisheries

• Dairies

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Processors for

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• Fish

• Meat

• Poultry

• Feed

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Manufacturers of

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• Soup

• Snacks

• Bread

• Cereals

• Dressing

• Beverages

• Seasoning

• Packaging

• Frozen Food

• Canned Food

• Confectionery

• Dietary supplements

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Food Service Providers

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• Grocery Stores

• Restaurants

• Cafeterias

• Hotels

• Hospitals

• Resorts

• Airlines

• Cruise Ships

• Senior Lodges

• Nursing Homes

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Other Service Providers of

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• Storage

• Catering

• Cleaning

• Logistics

• Sanitation

• Distribution

• Transportation

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Product Suppliers of

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• Tools

• Utensils

• Additives

• Equipment

• Ingredients

• Raw Materials

• Cleaning Agents

• Sanitizing Agents

• Packaging Materials

• Food Contact Materials

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ISO 22000 will help you to achieve the following objectives:

Safe products and enhanced customer satisfaction.

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• Ensuring products do not cause adverse health effects.
  Compliance with your own food safety policy to all interested parties.

• Establishing a food safety management system (FSMS).

• Operating and maintaining your organization’s FSMS.

• Updating and improving your organization’s FSMS.
  Demonstrating compliance with external safety requirements.

• Demonstrating compliance with regulatory, statutory and customer requirements.
  Communicating food safety issues throughout the food chain.

• Communicating with your customers, suppliers and relevant interested parties.

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Once you’ve established a FSMS that meets ISO requirements based on your organization’s own risks and requirements, the next step is to have a registrar (certification body) audit your system. When you pass the audit, you will receive a certificate stating that your FSMS meets ISO requirements. While ISO 22000 is designed for certification purposes, it is not required. You can be in compliance without being formally certified by a registrar. You can self-audit your EMS and then announce that it complies with the ISO 14001 standard. Obviously, your compliance claim will have more credibility when confirmed by a third party certification body.