Overview of ISO 22000:2018 – Food Safety Management System

Food plays an essential role in the lives of humans and other living organisms. Unsafe food can cause many harmful effects such as the risk of infections and communicable diseases, allergies, and even high levels of toxins that may lead to long-term consequences, illnesses, and a decline in public health.

To ensure safety throughout the production chain, meet the increasing demand for food safety management, and control risks related to the production and supply of products to the market, the International Organization for Standardization issued the Food Safety Management System standard – ISO 22000.

First published in 2005, the latest version is ISO 22000:2018, which includes a set of regulations and requirements for any organization in the food industry with the objective of ensuring safety and managing risks during production, operation, and distribution processes.

The Food Safety Management System standard ISO 22000:2018 does not only focus on controlling the quality of the final product but also proposes managing the entire production system. Therefore, ISO 22000:2018 can be integrated with other management system standards such as ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 to achieve optimal efficiency for business operations and organizational objectives.

ISO 22000 applies the HACCP principle (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) to identify, evaluate, and control food safety hazards during the production process, thereby establishing measures to minimize or eliminate them.

• Document and record control: The standard requires careful management of documents and records related to food safety to ensure transparency and compliance. In addition, it encourages food organizations to share information with partners within the supply chain to achieve common objectives.
• Monitoring and continual improvement: ISO 22000 requires organizations to conduct inspections, evaluations, and continual improvements in the management process. It also emphasizes training and raising awareness of food safety for all employees working within the organization.

Benefits for enterprises certified to ISO 22000:2018

• Improved operational performance: ISO 22000 requires the establishment of a flexible and effective food safety management system, helping companies improve production and operational processes and optimize resource utilization.
• Reduced food-related risks: ISO 22000 focuses on detecting, assessing, and managing food safety risks, thereby minimizing the risk of food poisoning, contamination, and other related issues.
• ISO 22000 certification helps companies compete more effectively in the market, as it demonstrates a recognized commitment to food quality and safety. Moreover, as a globally recognized international standard, it creates advantages for international integration and exporting goods to global markets, thereby increasing the economic value of products.
• Enhanced customer confidence: The adoption of ISO 22000 shows that companies comply with food safety management requirements, thereby strengthening customer trust in the company’s products.

Who is ISO 22000 intended for?

This standard applies to all organizations operating in the food supply chain regardless of size, as well as non-profit organizations related to the food sector: companies engaged in the production, processing, packaging, storage, and distribution of food products; restaurants and catering services; transportation and storage companies, including warehouses; manufacturers of food ingredients such as flour, sugar, cooking oil, spices, color additives; organizations involved in food technology, research and analysis, food quality inspection, etc. The common objective when applying ISO 22000 is to ensure food safety and quality for consumers in all countries.

ISSQ Quality Institute, with a team of experienced and dedicated experts, always strives to deliver high-quality and high-value services to customers. Therefore, many enterprises and organizations have trusted and chosen to cooperate with the Institute for ISO 22000:2018 certification. In addition, the Institute is also competent in certifying other management systems such as ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, HACCP, GMP, GlobalG.A.P., etc.

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

Please contact hotline: +84 981851111 or email vienchatluong@issq.org.vn | tcvn@issq.org.vn — we are honored to serve you.

Publication date: 22/09/2023