What is ISO 22000?
The international organization ISO (International Organization of Standardization) has decades of experience developing standards for many different types of applications. One of the most popular and most recognized is the Quality Management System standard ISO 9001. This standard was developed to provide a uniform standard worldwide for quality management. A buyer in one part of the world would have a degree of confidence in the quality practices of a registered company in another part of the world. This standard was used as the basis for other more specific standards for quality management in the automotive industry, the medical device industry, and the aerospace industry.ISO has written a similar type of standard for Food Safety Management. ISO and its member countries used the Quality Management System approach, and tailored it to apply to Food Safety, incorporating the widely used and proven HACCP principles into the quality management system. The resulting standard is ISO 22000. Many companies will find parts of this document very familiar. If your organization uses a HACCP system, you will be building from that foundation. If your organization is ISO 9001 registered you will add HACCP into that system.
What does ISO 22000 Require?
ISO 22000 requires that you design and document a Food Safety Management System (FSMS). The standard contains the specific requirements to be addressed by the FSMS.TIP: save time and money with our do-it-yourself kits. Build the system with our ISO 22000 Workbook and document it with our Documentation Package.
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Generally the standard addresses:
- Having an overall Food Safety Policy for your organization, developed by top management.
- Setting objectives that will drive your companies efforts to comply with this policy.
- Planning and designing a management system and documenting the system.
- Maintaining records of the performance of the system.
- Establishing a group of qualified individuals to make up a Food Safety Team.
- Defining communication procedures to ensure effective communication with important contacts outside the company (regulatory, customers, suppliers and others) and for effective internal communication.
- Having an emergency plan
- Holding management review meetings to evaluate the performance of the FSMS
- Providing adequate resources for the effective operation of the FSMS including appropriately trained and qualified personnel, sufficient infrastructure and appropriate work environment to ensure food safety
- Following HACCP principles
- Establishing a traceability system for identification of product
- Establishing a corrective action system and control of nonconforming product
- Maintaining a documented procedure for handling withdrawal of product
- Controlling monitoring and measuring devices
- Establishing and maintaining and internal audit program
- Continually updating and improving the FSFM