Food safety and hygiene have always been issues of special concern. Currently, many customers and distributors require their suppliers to obtain ISO 22000:2018 certification.

ISO 22000:2018 certification is also one of the common requirements for companies that wish to cooperate with major partners or expand into global markets. Therefore, in order not to fall behind the market as well as competitors, the application of ISO 22000:2018 standards in enterprises is extremely necessary.

Requirements for Food Safety Management System according to ISO 22000:2018

The requirements for a food safety management system according to ISO 22000:2018 were developed by leading experts in food safety management systems. The ISO 22000:2018 standard includes four main requirements that organizations and enterprises need to pay attention to, as follows:

Requirement 1: Operational Communication

The operational communication requirement refers to two elements: communication within the enterprise and communication with external parties. This interactive communication can help food businesses control their processes from input to output. In addition, communication with customers and suppliers regarding potential hazards also helps clarify customer requirements for suppliers.

Requirement 2: System Management

The system management requirement is built based on the actual situation of food enterprises and is usually based on criteria such as leadership participation and commitment, human resources, infrastructure, and working environment.

Requirement 3: Prerequisite Programs

Depending on the role of the enterprise in the food chain, prerequisite programs are proposed. These programs must:

• Be appropriate to the specific needs of the enterprise
• Be suitable for the scale and type of activities of the products being produced
• Be applied throughout the entire system
• Be approved by the food safety team

Some commonly applied prerequisite programs include: GAP, GVP, GMP, GHP, GPP, GDP, and GTP.

Requirement 4: HACCP Principles

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, ISO 22000 is built based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). This means that enterprises applying ISO 22000 must comply with the seven HACCP principles as follows:

• Conduct hazard analysis
• Determine critical control points (CCPs)
• Establish critical limits
• Establish monitoring systems
• Establish corrective actions
• Establish verification procedures
• Establish record-keeping procedures

Procedures for Applying for ISO 22000:2018 Certification

To meet the requirements of ISO 22000:2018, organizations need to prepare the following procedures:

Developing Documentation for the Food Safety Management System

The first and most important procedure is to prepare documentation for the food safety management system. These documents include policies, objectives, procedures, and records related to the enterprise’s food safety management system.

Preparing Process Documentation

The second procedure is to prepare process documentation. In particular, your enterprise must document standard procedures as well as necessary processes to ensure control of various processes within the company’s food safety management system.

The general meaning of this is that your food safety management system will have more documented procedures than just those specifically named in the standard. However, these will be useful documents. They ensure that processes are carried out as planned and approved by management. Conversely, they also ensure that management understands how to implement the processes.

Specific Procedures Required by the Standard

These include document control, record control, control of unsafe products, correction, corrective action, recall, and internal audit. Make sure that different personnel perform the procedures in the same way.

If you do not want procedures to be forgotten, you must establish a system in which all procedures are recorded. Along with that, work instructions will become an important and indispensable part of your system.

Importance of ISO 22000:2018

In recent years, much evidence has shown that controlling food safety from the management system stage is extremely important. A defective food management system can threaten the health and safety of a large number of consumers. Below are some key points regarding the importance of ISO 22000:2018 for businesses and society:

For Food Enterprises

• Helps organizations improve customer satisfaction
• Enhances transparency in management activities
• Improves the ability to respond to potential risks

In addition, the Vietnamese government is currently creating favorable conditions for enterprises wishing to register ISO 22000:2018 with certain benefits such as:

• Exemption from procedures for declaring eligibility for food production for facilities certified to ISO 22000:2018
• Enterprises holding ISO 22000:2018 certification are not required to conduct periodic product inspections

Furthermore, most enterprises wishing to expand their business in the food market today need to have appropriate food safety certificates. Therefore, ISO 22000:2018 certification is considered a suitable choice.

For Consumers

The increasing number of enterprises obtaining ISO 22000:2018 certification is very important for consumers. It helps:

• Improve consumer health and safety by minimizing potential food risks
• Provide greater confidence when using food products
• Facilitate tracing the origin of consumed products

The above are the sharing from ISSQ Quality Institute regarding ISO 22000:2018 Certification – Food Safety Management System.

We hope that this article provides useful information for you and your enterprise.

ISSQ Quality Institute is always ready to accompany companies during the period of integration and development.

Please contact hotline: +84 981 851 111 or email: vienchatluong@issq.org.vn | tcvn@issq.org.vn. We are honored to serve our customers.

Published date: 07/06/2023