ISO 22000: Food Safety Management System

What is ISO 22000?

ISO 22000:2018 is the international standard for a food safety management system (FSMS). It combines the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) with management system requirements and shares the same structure as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, so it integrates easily with other management systems.

ISO 22000 applies to organizations of all sizes across the entire food chain, from small family producers to global food manufacturers and distributors.

Key requirements of the standard

• Prerequisite programs (PRPs) — the basic hygiene and safety conditions, such as maintenance of facilities and equipment, cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene and supplier management. When selecting them, the organization considers the technical specifications of the ISO/TS 22002 series, defined separately for food manufacturing (22002-1), catering (22002-2), farming (22002-3) and packaging manufacturing (22002-4).
• Hazard analysis — biological, chemical and physical hazards are identified and the way each is controlled is determined: through critical control points (the HACCP plan) or operational prerequisite programs.
• Two PDCA cycles — one for the management system as a whole, the other for the operational level, where the safety of the product itself is planned and controlled.
• Communication along the food chain — exchanging food safety information with suppliers, customers and the competent authorities.
• Risks and opportunities — planning is based on a risk assessment at the organizational level, separate from the product-level hazard analysis.

ISO 22000, HACCP and FSSC 22000

HACCP is a legal requirement for most food business operators and focuses on hazards in the production process. ISO 22000 incorporates the HACCP principles and adds a full management system: objectives, responsibilities, communication along the chain, internal audits and continual improvement.

FSSC 22000 is a certification scheme recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). It is based on ISO 22000, with mandatory application of the relevant ISO/TS 22002 specification and additional scheme requirements. That makes ISO 22000 a good foundation for a later move to FSSC 22000, which large retail chains often require, and for integration with schemes such as IFS and BRCGS.

Who is ISO 22000 for?

Organizations across the entire food supply chain:

• primary production (farming, livestock, fishing, beekeeping),
• manufacturers of food, animal feed and food additives,
• manufacturers of food packaging,
• manufacturers of food production equipment,
• transport and storage service providers,
• food retail and hospitality,
• service organizations, such as cleaning and sanitation services.

Benefits of implementing ISO 22000

• safer food and fewer incidents,
• consumer trust and a stronger brand,
• access to domestic and international retail chains and global markets,
• greater efficiency in the food production and distribution chain,
• fewer complaints and product recalls,
• readiness for inspections and customer audits.

What implementing ISO 22000 looks like

1. Gap analysis — we compare how the company currently works with the requirements of the standard, starting from the existing HACCP system, if there is one.
2. Prerequisite programs — we review and complete the basic hygiene and safety conditions for the facility, equipment and operations.
3. Hazard analysis and control plan — for each product and process we identify hazards, critical control points and operational prerequisite programs.
4. Documentation, rollout and training — we define the food safety policy and objectives, responsibilities and procedures, and train employees to follow them.
5. Internal audit and management review — we check whether the system works as intended and resolve nonconformities, and management evaluates the results and decides on improvements.
6. Certification audit — an accredited certification body carries out a two-stage audit. We are with you throughout the audit and help you address any findings.

For most companies the whole process takes two to three months, depending on the number of products, processes and existing documentation. A company that already has a well-organized HACCP system has a good foundation and gets there faster.

If you are interested in implementing an ISO 22000 food safety management system in your company, you can request a quote or contact us by phone or by email at office@eqsint.com.