ISO 22000 is a standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization on food safety. It is a derivative of the ISO 9000 family of standards.

Food safety is directly linked to the absence of ‘food-borne’ microbes at the point of consumption. A risk to food safety can arise at any stage of the food chain and it is therefore necessary to apply systematic and adequate controls. Hence, a combined effort by all parties involved, at all stages of food processing, storage, preparation and distribution, is required to this end.

The international standard ISO 22000 sets out the requirements for the development and implementation of a food safety management system which should include the following elements:

• interactive communication
• system management principles
• required programmes
• principles of the HACCP system

The most effective food safety management systems operate and are continually updated within a structured management system and are integrated into the overall activities of the organisation. This provides maximum benefit to the organisation and its stakeholders. ISO 22000 has been aligned with ISO 9001 to ensure compatibility between the two standards.

ISO 22000 can be implemented independently of other management system standards or integrated with the existing requirements of an existing management system.

ISO 22000 incorporates the principles relating to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) provisions and the steps of the methodology developed and introduced by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

In the context of the controlled requirements, the standard combines the design of HACCP measures with the prerequisite programmes. Risk analysis is the key to an effective food safety management system, since conducting a risk analysis helps to organise the knowledge required to create an effective design of combined prevention and control measures. ISO 22000 provides for the identification, assessment and management of all potential contamination risks in the food chain, including risks that may be associated with the type of processing and the condition of the premises.

As such, the system leads to planning and ensuring compliance with the measures required to address the identified risks in a proportionate manner, taking into account the severity of each one.

During the risk analysis, the organisation shall determine the strategy to be implemented in order to ensure the control of the risks by combining the required programmes and the HACCP plan.

The ISO 22000 series of standards consists of the following sub-standards:

• ISO 22000 – Food safety management systems – Requirements for any organization in the food chain.
• ISO 22001 – Guidelines on the application of ISO 9001:2000 for the food and drink industry (replaces: ISO 15161:2001).
• ISO/TS 22002- Prerequisite programmes on food safety-Part 1: Food manufacturing
• ISO TS 22003 – Food safety management systems for bodies providing audit and certification of food safety management systems.
• ISO TS 22004 – Food safety management systems – Guidance on the application of ISO 22000:2005.
• ISO 22005 – Traceability in the feed and food chain – General principles and basic requirements for system design and implementation.
• ISO 22006 – Quality management systems – Guidance on the application of ISO 9002:2000 for crop production.
• ISO 22000 is also used in Food Safety Systems Certification (FSSC) – Scheme FS22000. The FS22000 Scheme is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) approved scheme.

Swiss Approval guarantees accredited certification, giving Organisations the right passport to the international market, ensuring with accuracy and independence compliance with the principles and rules defined by the ISO 22000 standard.