ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management Systems

Without plastics, our food would be more expensive, cost more to pack, process, store, distribute, and display. We would have a more limited range of food to eat, whether at home, or through catering outlets. There would be increased waste of both food products and time. The whole food chain would be more cumbersome, and the consumer would lose out. That’s why plastics businesses involved in the food chain need to be aware of the international standard for food safety, ISO22000:2005. This is a new global standard setting out the requirements for an effective Food Safety Management System.

A streamlined approach: ISO 22000 builds on existing British, European and other food safety standards, and incorporatesHACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point). Internationally recognized, and developed by food industry experts, it is fully compatible with ISO9001, on which it is based. Working to this standard helps a business to identify risks and control sanitary hazards, with interactive communication both ways along the food chain.

Transparency and traceability: more than ever, consumers are demanding to be informed how our food has been sourced and processed, what care has been taken in handling, particularly any unsafe products, and that such processes have been documented and audited. A good Food Safety Management System will support the corporate objectives, including setting a range of standards, and implementing management systems to effectively maintain those standards and secure continuous improvement.

Demonstrates compliance: With increasing demand from the public sector for a higher level of reassurance, holding ISO 22000 has become a “trust mark” to help customers make informed choices. Corporate and public sector clients are now actively looking for the certification to check that a food safety management system is in place. Achieving this standard helps businesses connected to the food chain, particularly plastic packaging businesses, to generate more business. Furthermore, as a global standard, it provides marketing opportunities in both developed and emerging markets.

Integration with other standards: while ISO 22000 can be implemented on its own, it has been designed to be fully integrated with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. It enjoys international recognition, and is an auditable standard which can be awarded third party certification. When a business already has ISO9001 in place, achieving ISO 22000 becomes much simpler. With an estimated million ISO 9001 certificates now issued in 170 countries, the ISO 9001 standards have been written to enable the company to relate them to other management systems relevant to the plastics sector.

This content has been kindly provided by Business Support Network Member IMSM