MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT
& INTERNAL ORGANIZATION
- Policy & objectives
- Communication of responsibilities
- Management of skills/competencies
- Provision of resources
- Defining the FSMS
- Internal/External communication
- Documentation
- Emergencies/Disasters
- Develop identification & traceability
IMPLEMENTATION OF
PREREQUISITE PROGRAMS (PRPs)
- Identify the necessary PRPs
- Review the existing PRPs
- Implement the PRPs
- Verify efficacy of the PRPs
- Recall product
HAZARD ANALYSIS
& OPERATIONAL PRPs
- Establish food safety team
- Collect background information for
Hazard Analysis
- Prepare a process flow diagram
- Verify the process flow diagram
- Identify potential hazards
- Assess hazards
- Evaluate control measures
- Validate control measures
- Categorize, manage & monitor control
measures
- Establish and apply corrective actions
- Assess and update initial information
VERIFICATION OF FOOD SAFETY
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FSMS)
- Verification of the FSMS
- Internal audits of the FSMS
- Verification & analysis of results
- Management review
- Continual improvement of the FSMS
CERTIFICATION OF THE FSMS
ACCORDING TO ISO 22000
- Initial audit
- Surveillance audit 1
- Surveillance audit 2
- Recertification audit
Figure 1: Building an FSMS using ISO 22000
industries, once the Food Safety Modernization Act regulations are finalized.
Granted, processors still have problems with their HACCP programs and
many may have gaps, but they are fairly
clear on the concept. This article has
been developed to help processors better understand these clauses, which are
also elements in the other GFSI-benchmarked food safety schemes.
Management Responsibility
Management responsibility is strongly emphasized in ISO 22000. In general,
individuals follow the directions and
orders of their supervisors. Thus, if a
company wants a strong emphasis on
food safety, top management must
take a proactive role in developing,
documenting, implementing and, most
importantly, maintaining the FSMS.
Food Safety Policy. There are audit
schemes that emphasize a signed and
dated food safety policy or mission
statement, and assume a management
committed to the program. The policy
is a small but important part of the
equation. It should be a concise summary of the operation’s commitment to
food safety. However, when an auditor
evaluates a company, he/she should see
all employees conducting their work in
compliance with the food safety policy.
An example of a food safety/
quality policy may be seen in “Food
Safety/Quality Policy,” p. 21. The policy
should emphasize the commitment to
safety, meeting customer expectations,
adherence to the regulations and continual improvement.
The policy needs to be communicated to the workforce. Management
ensures that plant management and staff
not only understand the policy but also
follow it. A facility can communicate
a policy in many ways. It should be
included in an employee’s orientation
session; it can be posted in different
locations at the site; it may be addressed
in refresher training or included in a
document that everyone will read: their
paycheck envelope. Auditors will ask
employees if they are familiar with the
policy as part of an audit or ask questions to describe how their activities
affect food safety. At one facility, all
team meetings begin by reciting their
food safety policy.
The policy should be reviewed and
updated on a regular basis. A large corporation will usually have a corporate
food safety policy. Companies or divisions will usually adopt a policy that
reflects the corporate document but
focuses on the local operation.
Communication. Communication is
another area processors may have some
trouble implementing. The processor
should ask the following questions:
What do we mean by “external and
internal communication?” How do we
routinely communicate food safety issues both internally and externally?
Let’s first look at internal communication. Remember that the focus of
the standard is food safety and properly
communicating any potential issues.
One of the most important messages
in this area is never take anything for
granted. Communication must be done
clearly and concisely and follow documented protocols. The food safety team
leader needs to be involved in either
setting up, reviewing or ensuring the
effectiveness of the protocols.
Take a step back and think about all
the individuals or departments involved
in processing, handling and storage of
foods, ingredients and packaging, and
how a seemingly innocuous activity can
compromise food safety.
Internal communication involves
more than just issues related to processing. It is imperative that issues that
relate to food safety be not just understood but communicated throughout the
organization. This is why many companies will have one or more persons on
staff whose job is to follow regulatory
developments and communicate these
developments throughout the company.
Not knowing is no excuse for noncompliance. To address regulatory issues,
companies often maintain a register that
includes all regulations to which they
must comply.
Processors may want to document
the primary ways they communicate
food safety issues to employees. These
communications can include discussing food safety at team meetings, posting videos or publishing newsletters.