New ISO 22000:2018 standard on Food Safety

On the occasion of the new version and adaptation plan of the ISO 22000:2018 standard, we believe it is appropriate to inform anyone who is interested about the most significant changes.

This renewal of the Food Safety Management Systems standard replaces the first edition of 2005 and gives companies three years (until June 2021) to make the transition and certify their management system to this new standard.

One of the main changes is the adoption of the ISO High Level Structure (HLS), common to all ISO standards, to improve the possible integration between them. The new approach is risk-based in the new standard and is carried out at two levels: organizational risk management and risk-based approach at the operational level.

Other changes of relevance are:

• Organizational context and stakeholders:
  • chapter 4.1 - External and internal issues: introduces new clauses for systematic determination and monitoring of the organizational context
  • chapter 4.2 - Stakeholder needs and expectations: introduces key aspects such as the mandatory identification of stakeholder needs and expectations
• Management leadership and commitment (chapter 5.1): includes further requirements to evidence commitment and leadership, as well as support for roles to improve the effectiveness of the management system.
• Planification (chapter 6): risk management is addressed. Companies are required to identify the risks and opportunities to be addressed in order for the system to achieve the expected results, increase desirable effects and prevent and reduce undesirable effects. Thus, there will be two risk managements in the organization that will coexist and feed back on each other: Organizational risk management and Operational management analysis in the chapter 8 (HACCP concept already contemplated in ISO 22000:2005)..
• In relation to the objectives of the safety management system, its planning is further specified through the definition of goals. (chapter 6.2).
• It incorporates the control of externally supplied processes, products or services in thechapter 7.1.6, clearly defining that the organization must establish and apply criteria for the evaluation and selection of external suppliers. Aspects to be guaranteed such as communication, process assurance and preservation of documentation resulting from evaluations and reevaluations are specified.
• The key aspect of comunication The communication system as well as the communication aspects are clarified and further specified in the previous version.
• On thechapter 8, Operation, the structure of Chapter 7 of the 2015 version is maintained, including some clarifications and some new requirements su
  • Food defense: specifies the need to test the procedures established to ensure their effectiveness
  • The validation of the combinations of control measures is relocated and defined prior to the establishment of the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) plan.
  • Hazard Control Plan: groups the HACCP Plan and the Operational Prerequisite Programs, clarifying and differentiating the critical limits (CCP) from the action criteria (ORP).
  • Gestion of product nonconformity and gestion of system nonconformities and corrective actionsare separated into different chapters

In case of doubt about the process of adaptation of the standard, the following may be considered contact with us, our sales department will assist and advise you at all times.