ISO News: ISO 22000 standard for food safety management

ISO 22000, Food safety management
The standard can be applied on its own, or in combination with other management system standards such as ISO 9001:2008.
The publication of ISO 22000 will be complemented by an ISO Technical Specification (ISO/TS 22004) giving guidance´on the implementation of the standard, with a particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises. In the following months, another Technical Specification ((ISO/TS 22003) will be published explaining certification requirements applicable when third-party certification is used. These documents are being developed by working group WG 8, Food safety management systems, of ISO technicalcommittee ISO/TC 34, Food products. Experts from 23 countries are participating and organizations withliaison status include the following: Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries ofthe European Union (CIAA),Codex Alimentarius Commission, International Hotel and Restaurant Association, CIES/ Global Food Safety Initiative, and World Food Safety Organization (WFSO).

ISO 22000 Systems – Requirements

for any organization in the food chain, can be applied to organizations ranging from feed producers, primary producers through food manufacturers, transport and storage operators and subcontractors to retail and food service outlets – together with interrelated organizations such as producers of equipment, packaging material, cleaning agents, additives and ingredients.
“As food safety hazards can be introduced at any stage of the food chain, adequate control throughout the food chain is essential,” commented Jacob Færgemand, convenor of the ISO working group that is
developing ISO 22000. Food chain “Thus, food safety is a joint responsibility that is principally assured through the combined efforts of all the parties participating in the food chain.”

ISO 22000 specifies the requirements for a food safety management system in the food chain where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to provide consistently
safe end products that meet both the requirements agreed with the customer and those of applicable food safety regulations.
http://www.iso.org/iso/toola_4-05.pdf