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ISO 22000 - Food Safety


A Global Benchmark Standard for Food Safety Management

The International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) has now published the new international standard.

ISO 22000:2005 ‘Food Safety Management Systems – requirements for organisations throughout the food chain’.

Organisations are cognisant of the need to demonstrate and provide evidence of their ability to provide safe food.  The requirements of ISO 22000 may apply to all types of organisations within the food chain ranging from feed producers, primary producers, food manufacturers, transport and storage operators, sub-contractors to retail and food service outlets, together with inter-related organisations such as producers of equipment, packaging materials, cleaning agents, additives and ingredients. It is applicable to all organizations, regardless of size, which are involved in any aspect of the food chain and want to implement systems that consistently provide safe products.

ISO 22000 specifies requirements for any organisation wishing to:

  • Plan, implement, operate, maintain and update a food safety management system aimed at providing products that, according to their intended use, are safe for the consumer.
  • Demonstrate compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory food safety requirements.
  • Evaluate and assess customer requirements and demonstrate conformity with those mutually agreed customer requirements that relate to food safety, in order to enhance customer satisfaction.
  • Effectively communicate food safety issues to their suppliers, customers and relevant interested parties in the food chain.
  • Ensure that the organisation conforms to its stated food safety policy.
  • Demonstrate such conformity to relevant interested parties.
  • Seek certification or registration of its food safety management system by an external organization, or make a self-assessment or self-declaration of conformity to ISO 22000:2005.

In a nutshell ISO 22000 will require:

  • Greater emphasis on continual improvement, with improved food safety performance derived through the establishment and achievement of tangible food safety objectives.
  • Company operations to include additional responsibilities for food chain-hazard identification.
  • External communication on product food safety aspects.
  • Food safety aspects of change management.
  • Focus on responsibility of top management.
  • Clearer direction with regard to hazard identification, risk assessment and the linkage to critical controls.
  • Responsibilities and authority of external experts.
  • Benefits of a Food Safety Management Systems Approach.
  • Cost-effective control of food borne hazards.
  • Proactive approach - identifying and controlling food safety hazards.
  • Complementary to other Management Systems (e.g. ISO 9000)
  • Demonstration of industrial codes of best practice.

NSAI Registration Scheme

NSAI Client Services offers a voluntary registration scheme for Food Operations wishing to have their food safety management systems independently audited against ISO 22000:2005.  The NSAI’s certification scheme is intended to advance and encourage the adoption of a systematic approach to food safety management (HACCP) throughout the food industry. The duration of the registration audit is determined by the size and scope of the applicant’s activities. 

Successful applicant organisations are listed on the NSAI web site under Directory of Registered Companies, and issued with an NSAI certificate of registration and are entitled to use the NSAI Food Safety Management Mark.  Certified organisations are then subject to annual inspections by NSAI in order to verify conformance with the requirements of this international standard.

Advantages of Registration

  • Independent verification of effective implementation and operation
  • Benchmarking with best practices
  • Stimulus for continual improvement
  • Improved company profile
  • Increased confidence for customers / consumers
  • Use of the NSAI Food Safety Management Mark
  • Will assist food business operators with compliance to new EU Food / Hygiene Regulations
For further information please contact:

Vincent Delaney                                    
Email: vincent.delaney@nsai.ie
Tel: 061 332882

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Last Updated - [31 Aug 2007 @ 10:23:19]

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