The International Organization for Standardization released a new standard this month in response to a significant increase in the number of food-borne illnesses around the world.

ISO 22000 harmonizes regional requirements for managing food supply chains on a worldwide basis. It’s designed to allow all types of organizations in the food supply chain to implement its concepts, from feed producers, primary producers, food manufacturers, and transport and storage operators, and their subcontractors, to retail and food service outlets. The standard is also applicable to producers of equipment, packaging material, cleaning agents and additives.A major benefit of the new standard is that it will make it easer for organizations to implement the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system for food hygiene in a harmonized way.

Food safety management systems can be registered to ISO 22000, which answers the growing demand in the food sector for supplier certification, although it can also be implemented without conformity certification and solely for the benefits its provides.

 …