ISO 22000 ensures upon the food safety management system of the company.



When it comes to a healthy living, the foremost thing that can never be left out is the food we eat. While a nutritious diet ensures sound health, adulterated or contaminated food can even cost someone his/her life. With the increase in such adulteration in food products by food producers so as to make more profits, the lives of consumers have been put into question.

The soaring demand of consumers for food safety measures thereby has led several companies to initiate their safety management and food quality systems that base their test standards on HACCP or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.

ISO initiated the expansion on the auditable standard in 2001, which further classifies the role of HACCP in food safety management systems that concluded with the formation of the new ISO 22000. The standard of ISO 22000 attempts to elucidate the requirements of a proper management of food safety for businesses that are required to be met and even exceed the safety regulations for food products worldwide.

It is this one standard of ISO 22000 that has to be complied to and which takes into account all the market and consumer needs. This quickens and makes simpler the processes without making any compromise on the safety and quality management systems.

The international standard certification of ISO 22000 describes the necessities that have to be adhered to under this food safety management system. These regulations imply to almost all the companies that are involved in the food supply chain, no matter whether it is a farmer or one of the food service companies, with operations ranging from processing, storage, and transportation to retail and packaging.

ISO 22000 has developed a synchronized safety standard which is accepted all over the world. As it integrates several methodologies, principles and applications, it is easy to comprehend, apply and get ISO 22000 recognition. This makes it even more efficient and useful as a tool for market entry as opposed to previous combinations that involved national standards.

ISO 22000 has defined the necessities for every company's food safety management system, which is a combination of properly recognized key elements so as to make sure that the safety of food throughout the food chain, until its final consumption:

1. Make sure an effective communication, internationally in the whole of the supply chain.

2. Fulfillment of all the HCCP principles ? This involves identifying CCPs (Critical Control Points), hazard analysis, creation of critical links, monitoring of CCPs, development of corrective action, keeping of records and verification.

3. To correspond the voluntary and the prerequisite standards.

4. Formation of a structure that has an alignment with the ISO 9001:2000.

5. System management.

6. Process control.

ISO 22000 makes it necessary for companies involved in the food chain to design and then document the FSMS (Food Safety Management System). The standard thereby comprises in the particular requirements that have to be attended to by FSMS, such as to have a team of professionals who together form a team for Food Safety and many others.