ISO 22000 – the International Standard for food safety
About ISO 22000
The full title of this global Standard is ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management Systems - requirements for organizations throughout the food chain.
The Standard is based on the most advanced technological, managerial and scientific expertise. It aims to create a level playing field across regional, continental and global markets by replacing divergent local standards with harmonized food safety management systems, benchmarked against best practices.
Who is ISO 22000 aimed at?
The Standard has relevance for all organizations of whatever size involved in any link of the food chain. The following list is not exhaustive, but indicates some of the businesses which should consider certification to ISO 22000:
- Animal feed producers
- Primary producers
- Food manufacturers
- Transport and storage operators
- Retailers
- Hotels, restaurants, catering businesses and take-away food outlets
- Producers of ingredients, additives, equipment, packaging, cleaning agents and other food-related products.
What does ISO 22000 do?
The Standard complies with the principles of the
Codex Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP) , which is the universally accepted method of ensuring food safety.
As an auditable standard with clear requirements, ISO 22000 provides a framework for third-party certification.
The requirements specified in ISO 22000 cover every aspect of food safety management. The Standard can help you to:
- Plan, implement, operate, maintain and update your food safety management system
- Demonstrate compliance with applicable laws and regulations governing food safety
- Assess and meet customer expectations related to food safety
- Communicate food safety information to suppliers, customers and other relevant parties
- Demonstrate to all interested parties that you meet the terms of your stated food policy
- Gain food safety management system certification/registration to the key global benchmark standard.
ISO 22000 complements, and can be integrated with, the Quality Management System Standard, ISO 9001.
How ISO 22000 benefits society
For consumers worldwide, ISO 22000 provides assurance of the safety, quality and reliability of the food they eat.
Concretely, the Standard:
How ISO 22000 can benefit you
By certifying your food management system to ISO 22000, you are declaring to potential customers and trading partners that you are able to meet the highest global standards of food hygiene and safety.
The Standard engenders confidence that you have efficient systems in place to identify and control all potential food safety hazards.
Depending on the nature of your business, certification to ISO 22000 may also allow you to compete more freely on many more markets across the world.
By focusing on systems rather than on products, the Standard streamlines the development and maintenance of an effective food safety management system.
NSAI's registration scheme
NSAI Certification offers a voluntary registration scheme for all organizations which wish to have their food safety management systems independently audited against ISO 22000.
Our registration procedures are flexible. For example, the duration of the audit varies depending on the size and scope of the applicant’s activities.
Successful applicants are:
- Listed on NSAI's Directory of Registered Companies
- Issued with an NSAI Certificate of Registration
- Entitled to use the NSAI Food Safety Management Mark.
Following registration, NSAI will conduct annual inspections to verify that the certified organization continues to comply with the requirements of the Standard.
Advantages of registration
We would strongly recommend that all food operations register with NSAI. Registration will help you comply with EU food and hygiene regulations. It will also provide:
- Independent verification of your food safety management system
- Benchmarking with best practices
- A stimulus for continual improvement
- An enhanced public image for your company
- Increased customer and consumer confidence in your products.
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