FSSC 22000 Food Certification

FSSC 22000 Food Certification

Mar 28, 2018 | ISO/FSSC 22000

FSSC 22000

FSSC 22000 is a GFSI recognised food safety certification scheme that is growing in popularity throughout the world. The FSSC 22000 scheme sets out the requirements for certification bodies to develop, implement and operate a certification scheme to assess the food safety systems of food organisations and to issue a certificate. Initially approved in 2010, the FSSC 22000 certification scheme was successfully re-benchmarked and recognized by GFSI against GFSI Guidance Document Version 6 in February 2013.

 

The FSSC 22000 scheme based on the food safety management standard ISO 22000, relevant food sector publicly available specifications or ISO technical specifications for food safety prerequisite programs and ISO/TS 22003 Food safety management systems – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of food safety management systems. This allows the scheme to cover a broad range of food sector categories as ISO 22000 covers fundamental food safety management requirements whilst relevant food sector category prerequisite programmes are prescribed in separate specifications that are specific to the food sector. In the case of food manufacturers that process or manufacture animal products perishable vegetal products, products with a long shelf life and (other) food ingredients like additives, vitamins and bio-cultures the FSSC 22000 scheme is based on ISO 22000: 2005 ‘Food safety management systems – Requirements for any organization in the food chain’ and ISO/TS 22002-1:2009 ‘Prerequisite programmes on food safety – Part 1: Food manufacturing’.

 

So there are 3 elements to meeting the requirements of FSSC 22000 and achieving certification:

 

  • A. Compliance with ISO 22000
  • B. Compliance with Food Sector Category Prerequisite Programmes
  • C. Compliance with FSSC 22000 additional requirements

 

A. Compliance with ISO 22000 ISO 22000 requirements

 

Requirements are described in the clauses of ISO 22000:2005 Food safety management systems – Requirements for any organization in the food chain. The clauses are listed below:

 

  • 4. Food Safety Management System
  • 4.1 General Requirements
  • 4.2 Documentation
  • 4.2.2 Document Control
  • 4.2.2 Document Control
  • 4.2.3 Record Control
  • 5. Management Responsibility
  • 5.1 Management Commitment
  • 5.2 Food Safety Policy
  • 5.3 FSQMS Planning
  • 5.4 Responsibility & Authority
  • 5.5 Food Safety Team Leader
  • 5.6 Communication
  • 5.6.1 External Communication
  • 5.6.2 Internal Communication
  • 5.7 Contingency preparedness and response
  • 5.8 Management Review
  • 6. Resource Management
  • 6.1 Provision of Resources
  • 6.2 Human Resources
  • 6.2.2 Competence, Awareness and Training
  • 6.3 Infrastructure
  • 6.4 Work Environment
  • 7. Planning and Realisation of Safe Products
  • 7.1 General Planning and Realisation of Safe Products
  • 7.2 Prerequisite Programmes:
  • a) construction and lay-out of buildings and associated utilities
  • b) lay-out of premises, including workspace and employee facilities
  • c) supplies of air, water, energy and other utilities
  • d) supporting services, including waste and sewage disposal
  • e) the suitability of equipment and its accessibility
  • f) management of purchased materials, supplies, disposals and handling of products
  • g) measures for the prevention of cross contamination
  • h) cleaning and sanitizing
  • i) pest control
  • j) personnel hygiene
  • k) other aspects as appropriate
  • 7.3 Preliminary steps to enable Hazard analysis
  • 7.4 Hazard Analysis
  • 7.5 Operational Control
  • 7.5 Establishing the Operational PRPs
  • 7.5 Establishing the Operational Pre-requisites
  • 7.6 Establishing the HACCP plan
  • 7.7 Updating of preliminary information and documents specifying the PRP(s) and HACCP plan
  • 7.8 Verification Planning
  • 7.9 Traceability System
  • 7.10.1 Corrections
  • 7.10.2 Corrective Actions
  • 7.10.3 Handling of Potentially unsafe products
  • 7.10.4 Withdrawals
  • 8. Validation, Verification and Improvement of the FSMS
  • 8.1 General
  • 8.2 Validation of Control Measure Combinations
  • 8.3 Control of Monitoring and Measuring
  • 8.4 FSQMS Verification
  • 8.4.1 Internal audits
  • 8.4.2 Evaluation of Individual Verification results
  • 8.4.3 Analysis of results of Verification activities
  • 8.5 Improvement
  • 8.5.1 Continual Improvement
  • 8.5.2 FSQMS updating

 

B. Compliance with Food Sector Category Prerequisite Programmes

 

Food Sector Category Prerequisite Programmes are prescribed and referenced in a number of ways, ISO 22000 requires in clause 7.2 that organisations shall select and implement specific “Prerequisite programmes” (PRP’s) for these basic hygiene conditions and shall consider and utilize appropriate information when selecting the programme (e.g. the requirements as prescribed in the codex general principles of food hygiene, codex codes of practices, food safety legislation and possible customer requirements). In addition the FSSC 22000 scheme includes prerequisite programme specifications: ISO/TS 22002-1:2009 ‘Prerequisite programmes on food safety – Part 1: Food manufacturing’ for food manufacturers and PAS 223:2011 ‘Prerequisite programmes and design requirements for food safety in the manufacture and provision of food packaging for food packaging manufacturers’.

 

Specific food manufacturing prerequisite requirements are prescribed in the sections of ISO/TS 22002-1:2009 ‘Prerequisite programmes on food safety – Part 1: Food manufacturing’:

 

  • 4. Construction and Layout of Buildings
  • 4.1 General requirements
  • 4.2 Environment
  • 4.3 Locations of establishments
  • 5. Layout of Premises Workspace
  • 5.1 General requirements
  • 5.2 Internal design, layout and traffic patterns
  • 5.3 Internal structures
  • 5.4 Location of equipment
  • 5.5 Laboratory facilities
  • 5.6 Temporary/mobile premises and vending machines
  • 5.7 Storage of food, packaging materials, ingredients and non food chemicals
  • 6. Utilities – Air, Water, Energy
  • 6.1 General requirements
  • 6.2 Water supply
  • 6.3 Boiler chemicals
  • 6.4 Air quality ventilation
  • 6.5 Compressed air and other gases
  • 6.6 Lighting
  • 7. Waste Disposal
  • 7.1 General requirements
  • 7.2 Containers for waste and inedible or hazardous substances
  • 7.3 Waste management and removal
  • 7.4 Drains and drainage
  • 8. Equipment Suitability, Cleaning and Maintenance
  • 8.1 General requirements
  • 8.2 Hygienic design
  • 8.3 Product contact surfaces
  • 8.4 Temperature control and monitoring equipment
  • 8.5 Cleaning plant, utensils and equipment
  • 8.6 Preventive and corrective maintenance
  • 9. Management of Purchased Materials
  • 9.1 General requirements
  • 9.2 Selection and management of suppliers
  • 9.3 Incoming material requirements (raw/ingredients/packaging)
  • 10. Measures for Prevention of Cross Contamination
  • 10.1 General requirements
  • 10.2 Microbiological cross contamination
  • 10.3 Allergen management
  • 10.4 Physical contamination
  • 11. Cleaning And Sanitizing
  • 11.1 General requirements
  • 11.2 Cleaning and sanitizing agents and tools
  • 11.3 Cleaning and sanitizing programmes
  • 11.4 Cleaning in place (CIP) systems
  • 11.5 Monitoring sanitation effectiveness
  • 12. Pest Control
  • 12.1 General requirements
  • 12.2 Pest control programmes
  • 12.3 Preventing access
  • 12.4 Harbourage and infestations
  • 12.5 Monitoring and detection
  • 12.6 Eradication
  • 13. Personnel Hygiene And Employee Facilities
  • 13.1 General requirements
  • 13.2 Personnel hygiene facilities and toilets
  • 13.3 Staff canteens and designated eating areas
  • 13.4 Work wear and protective clothing
  • 13.5 Health status
  • 13.6 Illness and injuries
  • 13.7 Personal cleanliness
  • 13.8 Personal behaviour
  • 13.9 Visitors
  • 14. Rework
  • 14.1 General requirements
  • 14.2 Storage. Identification and traceability
  • 14.3 Rework usage
  • 15. Product Recall Procedures
  • 15.1 General requirements
  • 15.2 Product recall requirements
  • 16. Warehousing
  • 16.1 General requirements
  • 16.2 Warehousing requirements
  • 16.3 Vehicles, conveyances and containers
  • 17. Product Information/Consumer Awareness
  • 17.1 Product information
  • 17.2 Labelling of pre-packaged foods
  • 18. Food Defence, Biovigilance And Bioterrorism 18.1 General requirements
  • 18.2 Access controls

 

Specific food packaging manufacturing prerequisite requirements are prescribed in the sections of PAS 223:2011 Prerequisite programmes and design requirements for food safety in the manufacture and provision of food packaging for food packaging manufacturers’ (The equivalent ISO document is ISO/DTS 22002-4 Prerequisite programmes on food safety — Part 4: Food packaging manufacturing):

 

  • 4 Establishments
  • 4.1 General requirements
  • 4.2 Environment
  • 4.3 Locations of establishments
  • 5 Layout of premises and workspace
  • 5.1 General requirements
  • 5.2 Internal design, layout and traffic patterns
  • 5.3 Internal structures and fittings
  • 5.4 Equipment
  • 5.5 Temporary/mobile structures
  • 5.6 Storage
  • 6 Utilities
  • 6.1 General requirements
  • 6.2 Water supply
  • 6.3 Air quality and ventilation
  • 6.4 Compressed air and other gases
  • 6.5 Lighting
  • 7 Waste
  • 7.1 General requirements
  • 7.2 Containers for waste
  • 7.3 Waste management and removal
  • 7.4 Drains and drainage
  • 8 Equipment suitability and maintenance
  • 8.1 General requirements
  • 8.2 Hygienic design
  • 8.3 Food Packaging contact surfaces
  • 8.4 Testing and Monitoring
  • 8.5 Preventive and corrective maintenance
  • 9 Purchased materials and services
  • 9.1 General requirements
  • 9.2 Selection and management of suppliers
  • 9.3 Incoming raw material requirements
  • 10 Contamination and migration
  • 10.1 General requirements
  • 10.2 Microbiological contamination
  • 10.3 Physical contamination
  • 10.4 Chemical contamination
  • 10.5 Chemical migration
  • 10.6 Allergen management
  • 11 Cleaning
  • 11.1 General requirements
  • 11.2 Cleaning agents and tools
  • 11.3 Cleaning programmes
  • 11.4 Monitoring cleaning programme effectiveness
  • 12 Pest control

 

C. Compliance with FSSC 22000 additional requirements

To ensure control of food safety and compliance with the GFSI Guidance Document additional specific requirements for the scheme are included in FSSC 22000 Certification scheme for food safety systems in compliance with ISO 22000: 2005 and technical specifications for sector PRPs PART I Requirements for Organizations that Require Certification. An example of an addition requirement is that an Inventory of Applicable Regulations is required.

What Is SQF Code?

What Is SQF Code?

Mar 14, 2018 | SQF Code

SQF Code

The SQF Code is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked Food Safety Management System standard which is recognized worldwide. SQF certification program is managed by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a part of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) which represents food retailers and wholesalers and has annual collective sales of over $600 billion.

 

The SQF Code is a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)-based food safety and quality management system standard based on CODEX Alimentarius Commission HACCP and National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Food (NACMCF) Principles and Guidelines. In 2012 SQF Code Edition 7 replaced SQF 2000 Code edition 6 for Food Manufacturing & Distribution and the SQF 1000 Code edition 5 which was for Primary Producers.

 

The Global Food Safety Initiative provides a framework for assessing the compliance of food safety management certification schemes based on ‘benchmarking’ the scheme against a model of essential requirements produced by group of food safety experts. GFSI officially announced that the SQF Code 7th Edition Level 2 had been successfully re‐benchmarked against GFSI Guidance Document Edition 6 on 15th October 2012. There are a number of benchmarked standards recognized by GFSI but SQF is the only program recognized by the GFSI that is headquartered outside of Europe.

 

The current edition of the SQF Code (edition 7.1 July 2013) covers all sectors of the food industry from primary production to transport and distribution.

SQF Code is current recognized by GFSI for certification to the following scopes:

 

  • Al: Farming of Animal Products
  • Bl: Farming of Plant Products
  • C: Pre-Processing of Animal Products
  • D: Pre-Processing of Plant Products
  • El: Processing or Animal Perishable Products
  • Ell: Processing of Plant Perishable Products
  • Elll: Processing of Animal and Plant Perishable Products
  • ElV: Processing of Ambient Stable Products
  • L: Production of Biochemicals
  • M: Production of Food Packaging

 

All Farming of Fish and Bll Farming of Grains and Pulses are to be submitted as scope extensions when 10 accredited certificates are in place.

 

Unlike most GFSI benchmarked standards the requirements for all organizations in the food chain are covered by a single standard, the SQF Code. Organisations do not need to comply with all of the SQF Code as it has relevant sections based on SQF food sector categories. For example, organizations in Food Sector Category 2 Growing and Harvesting of Animal Feeds need to comply with Module 2: System elements and Module 3: GMP for animal feed production and organizations in Food Sector Category 10 Dairy Food Processing need to comply with Module 2: System elements and Module 11: GMP for processing of food products.

 

The SQF Code covers a broad range of categories, overall there are 35 Food sector categories defined ranging from primary production to brokers and agents.

 

There are a range of food sector categories related to primary production and preparation including production, capture and harvesting of livestock and game animals, growing and production of fresh produce, fresh produce packhouse operations, harvest and intensive farming of fish and slaughterhouse, boning and butchery.

 

There are a range categories for the processing of food products and for foods manufacture based on the type of food, then there are other sector categories including transport and distribution of food products, food wholesaling and manufacture of other food related items such as dietary supplements, pet food, agricultural chemicals, animal feed and food sector packaging.

 

In order to achieve certification all organizations need to Module 2: SQF System Elements of the SQF code then depending on the food sector category comply with Food Safety Fundamentals defined in other relevant modules such as Good Agricultural Practices for Farming, Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Aquaculture Practices for Farming of Fish or Good Distribution Practices. Normally an organisation will need to comply with the SQF System Elements and one of the Food Safety Fundamentals modules although there are occasions when more than one will be applicable for instance when an organisation has primary production and food processing.

 

There are mandatory Elements in SQF Code Module 2 that must be complied with in order to achieve certification; these are summarized in the table below:

 

SQF Mandatory Elements /Clause
Management Policy 2.1.1 Product Release 2.4.8
Management Responsibility 2.1.2 Validation and Effectiveness 2.5.2
Food Safety & Quality Management System 2.1.3 Verification and Monitoring 2.5.4
Management Review 2.1.4 Corrective and Preventative Action 2.5.5
Document Control 2.2.1 Internal Audit 2.5.7
Records 2.2.2 Product Identification 2.6.1
Food Legislation 2.4.1* Product Trace 2.6.2
Food Safety Fundamentals 2.4.2 Product Withdrawal and Recall 2.6.3
Food Safety Plan 2.4.3 Food Safety Plan 2.4.3
Food Quality Plan (at level 3) 2.4.4 Training Program 2.9.2
* Compliance with legislation regarding Allergens (2.8.2 Allergen Management not mandatory – may be not applicable)

 

In the table you will see that Food Quality Plans are included, this is because certification to the SQF code is at three levels:

 

  • Level 1 Food Safety Fundamentals: An entry level for new and developing businesses covering only Food Safety Fundamentals and basic food safety.
  • Level 2 Certified HACCP Based Food Safety Plans: Requires a food safety risk analysis, documented Food Safety Plans and compliance with Module 2 Food Safety Elements and the relevant Food Safety Fundamentals Modules.
  • Level 3 Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management System: As per Level 2 but also requires a food quality risk analysis and documented Food Quality Plans.

Level 2 certification is benchmarked by GFSI and therefore a recognized food safety certification scheme whereas level 1 certification is not recognized by GFSI.

 

Level 2 certification is benchmarked by GFSI and therefore a recognized food safety certification scheme whereas level 1 certification is not recognized by GFSI.

 

Unlike some GFSI benchmarked standards, the SQF code and practical guidance documents are free, this means you can review the SQF Code and decide if it suits your organisation without any financial outlay. In addition to this the SQFI have Licensed Training Centers which offer SQF related training courses including:

 

  • Implementing SQF Systems
  • SQF Levels 1 & 2 – Food Safety Fundamentals and Certified HACCP Food Safety Plans
  • SQF Level 3 – Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management Systems
  • SQF Practitioner Training
  • Auditing SQF Systems

 

Being recognized by GFSI, the SQF Code and SQF Certification are widely accepted by retailers, foodservice providers and regulatory authorities around the world. SQFI also provides online access to a list of suppliers which buyers can access and identify relevant SQF certified suppliers.