Standard Traffic in the Food Chain- FSSC

Every company involved in or alongside the food sector encounters the traffic of Food Safety Standards in the establishment of management systems. In this traffic, alongside international standards, there are specific company standards, legal regulations, approval bodies, and standards developed by retailers; ISO 9001, ISO 22000, HACCP, BRC, IFS, SQF, Global GAP, GMP, PAS 220, and GFSI have complicated the selection process. Recently, a new standard, FSSC 22000, has been in development, raising the question: Is another new standard on the way? While the determining factor in system selection is based on customer demand, the ultimate goal is to establish an effective food safety system in compliance with legal requirements.

The journey began with the ISO 9000 series. The Quality Management Standard, which can be applied to all sectors and advocates a process approach, still retains its characteristic as a fundamental management system standard to ensure the quality needed by the customer.

The HACCP system, which emerged in the 1950s and predicts the control of hazard analysis and critical control points in food production, was globally accepted with the publication of HACCP principles in the Codex Alimentarius by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963 to prevent problems related to food safety. It has also become the foundation for Food Safety Standards (ISO 22000, BRC, IFS, SQF) and legal regulations. In Turkey, it was included among mandatory legal practices in the Food Codex in 1997 and published as TS13001 standard in 2003.

On the other hand, standards that have emerged due to the needs of various countries, unions, and associations have become part of this journey. The BRC, developed by the British Retail Consortium in 1998, has become recognized and applicable in Turkey with the development of the retail sector. BRC has become one of the selection criteria that guarantees safe food and production in desired specifications through on-site audits in supplier selection by retailers. In addition, the IFS (International Food Standard), developed by German and French retailers in 2002 to guarantee the safety of products produced under their own brands, has measurable food safety standards, which include Italy.

Another standard published in the USA in 2004 is SQF (Safe Quality Food). The Safe Quality Food Standard was created by the FMI (Food Marketing Institute), which has approximately 1500 member retailers and wholesalers. SQF is a HACCP-based food safety and quality risk management system. Detailed systems covering planned systematic activities referred to as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), and Good Distribution Practices (GDP) have also entered the scope of standards.

In the face of the implementation of various standards, organizations have begun to face increased scrutiny. Therefore, in 2000, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) was established by CIES (The Food Business Forum), which consists of approximately 400 food producers and retailers worldwide. The vision of GFSI is based on the principle that “if it is certified, it should be accepted everywhere.” It aims to unify all standards under the Food Safety Umbrella by comparing and approving specific standards. Carrefour, Tesco, Metro, Migros, Ahold, Wal-Mart, and Delhaize accept BRC, IFS, Dutch HACCP, SQF, and New Zealand GAP, which have been officially evaluated and recognized by GFSI.

By 2005, ISO published the first international and certified ISO 22000:2005 standard, applicable to all links in the food chain, in parallel with the process approach of ISO 9001, aiming to integrate food safety management system practices. It was based on prerequisite applications (legal requirements, GMP, operational prerequisites), the HACCP system, communication, and continuous improvement. The fundamental difference from BRC and IFS is that good practices are not listed. Therefore, it could not be included in the GFSI list.

While ongoing Food Safety standards (BRC, IFS, SQF) are mostly required as prerequisites by retailers for their private label product suppliers, large food producers have preferred ISO 22000 more due to its process approach.

To meet the need for ISO 22000, the Confederation of Food and Drink Industries (CIAA) sponsored the publication of the PAS 220 (Publicly Available Specification) standard in 2008, detailing prerequisite programs applicable to all types of companies, with the collaboration of industry giants known as G4, including Danone, Kraft, Unilever, and Nestle.

Is the 6th standard coming?

In 2004, the FSSC (The Foundation for Food Safety Certification) was established to create a harmonized Food Safety System certification. Supported by CIAA, FSSC 22000, which combines ISO 22000 and PAS 220, submitted its application for recognition to GFSI in February 2009. Initial assessment results began to be received, and on May 27, 2009, it was announced at the 9th Annual Food Safety Conference of GFSI that the content of FSSC 22000 was accepted by GFSI on its own website http://www.fssc22000.com. The standard sent to the GFSI commission for final approval is expected to be included in the GFSI list as the 6th Standard.

Fatma İNCEOĞLU (Haziran'2009)

Continuing from Where We Left Off in Traffic: PAS 220…

In our article published in June titled “Standard Traffic in the Food Chain and FSSC 22000,” we discussed the certification efforts of FSSC 22000 (The Foundation for Food Safety Certification) and the inclusion of this standard in the GFSI (The Global Food Safety Initiative) list. It was reported in the September 2009 GFSI newsletter that the FSSC 22000 Certification is expected to be included as the 6th standard on the list, conditionally recognized. This standard, which is a combination of the ISO 22000 standard and the PAS 220 (Publicly Available Specification), is currently undergoing accreditation efforts. Companies in the food chain that have established the ISO 22000 standard have begun working towards PAS 220. According to the prepared accreditation scheme, companies certified with ISO 22000 will be able to achieve this combination with an additional PAS 220 audit. Some certification bodies are also training their auditors for PAS 220 certification.

Companies in the food chain that establish and operate the Food Safety Management System ISO 22000 continue to develop their systems aimed at the future and improvement. Especially food producers supplying products to large retail chains are inquiring about the details of the PAS 220 standard. The standard, technically prepared with the signatures of Kraft Foods, Danone, Nestle, and Unilever, also sees contributions from experts of the ISO 22000 working group, McDonald's, and the Food & Beverage Federation. The PAS 220 (Publicly Available Specification) standard has been published by BSI (British Standards Institution). It was created to assist in the establishment of Prerequisite (Requirement) Programs to prevent food safety hazards. It contains details of the prerequisite programs required by the ISO 22000 Standard.

Food production operations are inherently different from each other. Therefore, the requirements of PAS 220 have not been created specifically for a single process. Producers should evaluate the implementation of requirements according to their own process and product risks. Decisions should be made based on risk assessment for any non-applicable item or alternative application. Such exclusions are additionally specified in the standard. Additional topics include feedback (rework), product recall, storage, product information-consumer awareness, and bioterrorism. The PAS 220 standard should be combined with the ISO 22000 standard, as this standard elaborates on clause 7.2.3 of the ISO 22000 standard.

In clause 7.2.3 of the ISO 22000 standard, it was stated that organizations should consider and utilize appropriate information in determining and selecting their prerequisites, referencing resources. Examples include legal and regulatory requirements, consumer requirements, defined references, code principles, and codes of national, international, or sectoral standards. The list of "Code of Hygienic Practice" found in Annex C of the standard was provided with sectoral distinctions.

Two regulations in the national Turkish Food Codex that will assist in determining Prerequisite Programs are the Regulation on the Supervision and Control of Food Safety and Quality published in the Official Gazette no. 26.09.2008-27009 and the Regulation on the Employment of Responsible Managers and Food Registry and Production Permit Procedures for establishments producing food and materials contacting food published in the Official Gazette no. 27.08.2004-25566, which created a national resource for firms implementing the ISO 22000 standard. The PAS 220 standard will serve as a guide for controls not covered in the regulations, such as supplier management, physical contamination (glass, hard plastic control), reprocessing, and allergen management. Additionally, firms supplying products to retailers will gain equivalent status with those obtaining BRC and IFS standards through ISO 22000+PAS 220 certification.

PAS 220 Key Topics;

a) Operation, structure, and building layout,

b) Operating environment and work area,

c) Auxiliary facilities (air, water, energy),

d) Support services such as waste and sewage,

e) Suitability of equipment, accessibility for cleaning, repair, and preventive maintenance,

f) Management of purchased materials,

g) Measures to prevent cross-contamination,

h) Cleaning and sanitation,

i) Pest control,

j) Personnel hygiene and employee practices.

The following exclusions are also provided later in the standard.

i. Reprocessing (rework),

ii. Product recall procedures,

iii. Storage,

iv. Food defense, intent, adulteration, and bioterrorism.

Fatma İNCEOĞLU - Ekim’2009

WHAT IS ISO 22002-1:2009?

The standard traffic in the food chain continues. In 2010, the technical standard 22002-1:2009 "Prerequisite (Requirement) Programs for Food Safety - Part 1: Food Manufacturers" published by ISO was introduced. The ISO 22002-1:2009 prerequisite programs standard was published on December 14, 2009, at the end of the year, alongside the PAS 220 standard. Thus, the ISO 22000 family has also expanded. So?

Question 1: While the accreditation efforts of the PAS 220 standard, merged with ISO 22000 as FSSC 22000, are ongoing, how will the published ISO 22002-1 prerequisite programs standard affect these efforts or how will it be included in the work?

Question 2: What does it mean that the FSSC (The Foundation for Food Safety Certification) Food Safety System Certification Organization mentioned the ISO 22002-1:2009 standard among the "changes" in the information it provided on its website on December 16, 2009?

To be continued…………

FSSC 22000- standard traffic article image

Full Approval from GFSI to FSSC 22000 - The 6th Standard is Here!

The standard traffic in the food chain continues. It began in 2010 with the technical standard 22002-1:2009 “Prerequisite (Requirement) Programs for Food Safety - Part 1: Food Manufacturers” published by ISO for the Food Sector. The ISO 22002-1:2009 prerequisite program standard was published at the end of the year on December 14, 2009. Thus, the ISO 22000 family was also expanded. So?

Question 1: While the accreditation work for the PAS 220 standard is being combined with ISO 22000 to form FSSC 22000, how will the published ISO 22000-1 prerequisite program standard affect the ongoing studies or how will it be included in the work?

Question 2: What does it mean that the FSSC (The Foundation for Food Safety Certification) mentioned the ISO 22002-1:2009 Standard in the "changes" section following the information it provided on its website on December 16, 2009?

On February 23, 2010, the GFSI (The Global Food Safety Initiative), managed by the Consumer Products Forum, announced that it fully accepted the FSSC 22000 standard scheme. The approved standard FSSC 22000 consists of a combination of ISO 22000 and PAS 220. There is a note in GFSI's guidance document stating that the ISO 22000-1 prerequisite program standard can also be read in addition to the PAS 220 specifications. For now, the questions about the cancellation of PAS 220 after the publication of the ISO standard have been answered.

The non-profit FSSC (Food Safety Certification) Foundation holds the licensing and publishing rights to the FSSC 22000:2010 standard. The scope of FSSC 22000 currently includes processed animal and plant products as well as food and ingredients (additives, vitamins, etc.) that can be stored for a long time under normal conditions.

In the next phase, it is expected that the integration of ISO 22000 and PAS 220 specifications will be combined with GFSI's audit requirements. FSSC is working with accreditation bodies for ISO 17021 and ISO 22003 scope. Until the current accreditation work is completed, companies will continue to receive non-accredited FSSC 22000 certificates.

Thus, FSSC 22000 has taken its place as the 6th Standard alongside BRC, Dutch HACCP, Global GAP, IFS, and SQF 2000 on the GFSI list.

As a result, as we mentioned in our article published on the website in June 2009, while the determining factor in system selection will be based on customer demand, the ultimate goal is to establish an effective food safety management system in compliance with legal requirements. This development will significantly contribute to companies involved in the food chain that implement the international ISO 22000 system.

Mart’10, Fatma İNCEOĞLU