NSF International (NSF) today announced a new program that will offer food safety certification to ISO 22000, the new international standard for food safety management systems. This program expands NSF’s commitment to food safety through Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles while also generating a key opportunity to harmonize standard requirements.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 22000:2005 Standard - Requirements for a Food Safety Management System demonstrates an organization’s commitment to food safety, and provides a means to demonstrate that an organization is taking the necessary steps to control food safety hazards. ISO 22000 enables an organization to align its food safety management system with other recognized management systems such as quality (ISO 9001) and environmental (ISO 14001).
ISO 22000:2005 applies to all organizations, regardless of their size, that impact the food chain. This includes ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers, package suppliers, service providers, farmers, food processors, and catering and retailing organizations. Prior certification to ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems is not a requirement; however, bundled certification audits are available. Combining ISO 22000 certification with ISO 9001:2000 provides a competitive advantage because it helps demonstrate an organization’s dedication to food safety and quality. Both standards also specify requirements to help organizations demonstrate system performance and ongoing improvement.
There are key benefits to organizations that choose to implement a food safety management system. These include:
- Verification of customer requirements relating to food safety;
- Improved internal and external communication;
- Ability to show control of known food hazards;
- Continuous improvement of an organization’s food safety management system; and
- Use of the internationally recognized NSF certification mark
Organizations that successfully meet all ISO 22000:2005 requirements will receive a certificate and will be listed on NSF’s website at www.nsf.org.
