ISO 22000 CERTIFICATION
What is ISO 22000 standard?
ISO 22000 stands for a regulatory reference which certifies the food safety management system.
The ISO 22000 standard can be applied to any type of company in the food supply chain, regardless its size.
Basically, the ISO 22000 standard is applicable to all the companies that are indirectly involved in the production of foodstuff as well. For instance, packaging companies, cleaning service companies, etc.
What is the purpose of ISO 22000 standard?
ISO 22000 standard is built on 10 sections, designed to manage all the aspects of the company life and to lead the organization’s processes to the implementation of the food safety system.
This standard offers the possibility to harmonize on a global level the voluntary national standards for food safety through HACCP system.
The ISO 22000 certification validates the principles of the Codex Alimentarius for the development of HACCP plan and combines the management systems implemented according to ISO 9001 standard and the socalled “Hygiene Package”.
Is ISO 22000 certification mandatory?
The adoption of a food safety management system is voluntary for the companies.
Why obtain ISO 22000 certification?
By following the guidelines of ISO 22000 standard, the organization will be able:
- To ensure the safety of its products in every stage of production, from the raw-materials to end-customers;
- To assess in advance the risks connected to the company’s processes and to undertake measures to improve and to control the food safety;
- To demonstrate compliance with the legislative and regulatory requirements applicable to food safety.
How to get ISO 22000 certification?
The certification path consists of 4 stages
Certification Request
All the economic aspects and the auditors’ activities related to the certification process may be agreed at this stage. The finalization of a contract concludes this part. Indeed the process for certification depends on the contract stipulated between the company and the certification body.
Generally, it is valid for three years.
Preliminary Audit (optional and possibly requested by the customer)
It is an initial assessment of the current company’s management system.
The preliminary audit is not involved in the normal process for certification and any possible improvement thus is intended to be nothing but a suggestion and it is not included in the official audit report.
Certification Audit – Stage 1
The audit is held in the company office. In this stage, the auditor gathers all the informations and evaluates the documents referring to the management system that must be certified. The auditor analyses the compulsory and voluntary standards. This is a preparatory step for the second stage of the Certification Audit.
Certification Audit – Stage 2
In this stage, the auditor will ascertain that the company complies with the management system. At the end of this process, the auditor will submit the ISO issue request to the certification body, if a significant nonconformity does not occur.