ISO 22000

ISO 22000
Name	ISO 22000
Type	International standard
Status	Published
First published	2005
Latest version	2018
Governing body	International Organization for Standardization

ISO 22000

ISO 22000 is an international standard specifying requirements for a food safety management system that combine principles from hazard analysis and critical control points with management system elements. It integrates processes for risk assessment, control measures, and continual improvement to help organizations in the food chain manage hazards and demonstrate conformity to clients, regulators, and auditors. The standard is used by producers, processors, packers, retailers, and service providers across global supply chains.

Overview

ISO 22000 defines a framework for organizations to identify, control, and prevent food safety hazards while aligning with commonly recognized management system approaches. Stakeholders across the food sector including multinational corporations like Nestlé, Unilever, Kraft Foods, and PepsiCo use food safety management systems to harmonize practices with regulators such as the European Commission's food safety bodies, agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization, and trade organizations like the World Trade Organization. Certification bodies including Bureau Veritas, SGS, DNV, and TÜV SÜD provide third-party audits to attest conformity. The standard intersects with risk frameworks used by entities such as Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Health Organization, United States Department of Agriculture, and Food and Drug Administration (United States) in national contexts including United Kingdom, United States, China, and Brazil.

Scope and Purpose

ISO 22000 applies to any organization in the food chain regardless of size or complexity, from primary producers like Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland Company to food service companies such as McDonald's and Compass Group. Its purpose is to ensure safe food supply through systematic hazard control informed by scientific advice from institutions such as European Food Safety Authority and Institut Pasteur. The standard supports compliance with legislative regimes including the Food Safety Modernization Act and regional schemes like the European Union's food law framework. International trade participants including importers and exporters in markets such as Japan, India, and Mexico often seek ISO 22000 alignment to reduce technical barriers associated with sanitary and phytosanitary measures overseen by the World Trade Organization.

Requirements and Structure

The standard's structure aligns with management system annexes similar to those used by International Organization for Standardization publications, incorporating clauses on context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement. It requires hazard analysis based on principles akin to those in HACCP and the Codex Alimentarius texts, development of prerequisite programs, and establishment of operational prerequisite programs covering areas influenced by bodies such as International Labour Organization standards for worker safety and FAO guidelines. Documentation, competency, traceability, emergency preparedness, and communication are explicit requirements, often cross-referenced with practices promoted by ISO/TS 22002-1 practitioners, certification schemes run by BRC Global Standards, and auditing practices used by British Standards Institution.

Implementation and Certification

Organizations implement the standard by conducting gap analyses, engaging consultants or in-house teams, and integrating practices with quality systems used by firms like Toyota (for process control analogies) and Siemens (for supply chain controls). Certification is granted by accredited bodies accredited by national accreditation agencies such as UKAS, ANAB, DAkkS, and JAS-ANZ. Accredited certification involves stage 1 and stage 2 audits, surveillance audits, and recertification cycles. Market actors including retailers like Walmart and foodservice conglomerates often require supplier certification as part of vendor approval programs, while development agencies such as the World Bank incorporate food safety system strengthening into agricultural projects in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

Relationship to Other Standards

ISO 22000 interacts with other international standards and schemes including ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety, enabling integrated management systems used by conglomerates like General Electric and Siemens AG. It complements sector-specific schemes such as GlobalG.A.P., FSSC 22000, Safe Quality Food Program (SQF), and IFS Food, and aligns with guidance from the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Accreditation and certification frameworks reference standards from International Accreditation Forum and regional accreditation cooperatives such as EA and IAAC. Trade standards enforced under Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures negotiated at the World Trade Organization also relate to ISO 22000 application in export markets.

History and Revisions

The standard was first published in 2005 and later revised in 2018 to adopt the high-level structure common to contemporary ISO management system standards. Key drivers of revision included evolving understanding of foodborne hazards, globalization of supply chains involving multinational processors like Tyson Foods and JBS S.A., and harmonization efforts influenced by agencies such as FAO and WHO. The 2018 revision incorporated risk-based thinking and greater emphasis on leadership and stakeholder engagement, reflecting trends addressed in standards updates by International Organization for Standardization working groups and national mirror committees from countries including Germany, France, Japan, and United States.

Category:Food safety