ISO 22000

ISO 22000:2018 (BDS EN ISO 22000:2018) Food Safety Management Systems

ISO 22000

The international standard ISO 22000 defines the requirements for a food safety management system in the food chain when an organization must demonstrate its ability to control food hazards to ensure that any food product is safe at the time of human consumption.

ISO 22000 is applicable to all organizations, regardless of size, that are involved in any aspect of the food chain and wish to implement systems that ensure the continued provision of safe food products. It allows any organisation, including small and/or less developed organisations (e.g. a small farm, a small packaging supplier, a small retail store or a food service store), to implement externally developed elements in its Food Safety Management System.

 ISO 22000 specifies the requirements for a food safety management system, which include the generally recognized and internationally popular elements for ensuring food safety throughout the food chain, including up to the point of their final consumption:

• good communication throughout the food chain;
• systematic management, process control;
• Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA cycle) – combining two separate cycles: one covers the management system and the other covers the principles of HACCP;
• application of HACCP principles and direct link with the Codex Alimentarius;
• compliance with good hygiene and production practices.

The ISO 22000 standard integrates the principles of the HACCP (Hazard Analysis, Critical Point Control and Implementation Guide) system with the prerequisite programs (PRPs) known as Good Hygiene and Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

ISO 2000 requires that all hazards reasonably suspected to occur in the food chain, including hazards related to the type of process and the installations used, be identified and assessed. Thus, it makes it possible to determine and document the reasons for the need to control some identified hazards and the absence of such a need for other identified hazards.

Structure
ISO 22000 "Food Safety Management Systems" has the following structure:

1. Scope
2. Regulatory references
3. Terms and definitions
4. Organization Context
5. Leadership
6. Planning
7. Maintenance
8. Activities
9. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the food safety management system
10. Improvement

Benefits of implementing ISO 22000 standard
The ISO 22000 standard enables an organization to:

• put in place a food safety management system to help improve overall safety activities;
• to continuously provide food-related products and services that are safe and comply with regulatory requirements;
• improve risk management in food safety processes;
• assesses and assesses customer requirements and demonstrates compliance with those food safety requirements previously agreed with customers in order to increase customer satisfaction;
• communicate effectively with its suppliers, customers and other stakeholders in the food chain on food safety issues;
• ensure compliance with the declared food safety policy and show strong links with the Codex Alimentarius;
• demonstrate this compliance to other stakeholders, and
• obtain certification or registration of the food safety management system from an external organization, or conduct a self-assessment or declare compliance with this International Standard.

Food safety is the prevention, elimination and control of food-related hazards from the point of production to the point of consumption. As a threat to food safety can occur at any stage of the process, every single business in the food supply chain must exercise adequate control over hazards. In fact, food safety can only be maintained through the joint efforts of all parties: governments, manufacturers, retailers and end users.

The ISO 22000 standard can be applied by organizations, both independently and in an Integrated Management System with other standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, IFS Food, BRCGS, etc.