ISO 22000 is appropriate for any business in the entire food chain ranging from primary producers at farm and animal feed levels through food manufacturers, transport and storage to retail and food service businesses. It also covers inter-related businesses such as packaging, equipment manufacturers, cleaning chemical suppliers etc.
ISO 22000 is also for companies seeking to integrate their quality, for example ISO 9001, and their food safety management systems.
The standard includes requirements for a HACCP system, as defined by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, combined with prerequisite programmes (PRPs) to ensure that a managed and audit-able system of food safety controls is established.
ISO 22000 certification will bring the following benefits to your business:
- A real international standard which is not owned by any national group
- Applies to all organizations in the food supply chain which could help to define food chain-assurance requirements
- Complies with the Codex HACCP principles
- Provides communication of HACCP concepts internationally
- An auditable standard which provides a framework for third-party certification
- Suitable for regulators
- The structure aligns with the management system clauses of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, providing a straightforward route to assure complete food business management systems
- Facilitates communication about hazards with partners in the supply chain
- Resource optimization internally and along the food chain
- Drives development and improvement of business management systems
- A systematic and proactive approach to identification of food safety hazards and development and implementation of control measures which has international recognition
- Confidence - shows the customer that the producer has robust product safety systems in place to allow for confidence in the supply of a safe, legal and quality product.