Food Safety Standards and certifications

Sayed Mohammad Naim KHALID Technical Advisor at AARDO/CAARDO/SADA-O

April 2013 Kabul, Afghanistan

Contents 1. Food safety vs. Safe food 2. Certification 3. GFSI 4. Codex Alimentarius 5. Safe Quality Food (SQF) 6. British Retail Consortium (BRC) 7. International Food Safety (IFS) 8. ISO 22000 9. HACCP 10. Global GAP

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Food Security

Food Safety

Food Safety, Safe Food?

• Food Safety – Concept that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is

prepared and/or consumed according to its intended use.

Safe Food A product which is free of microbiological, chemical or physical hazards OR A product that does not cause illness or injury when consumed as intended

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Why Food Safety?

• Some of the reasons for concern about food safety?

Changes in food habits Food handling practices Changing products, processes etc. Globalization of trade in food

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Lack of Hygiene & Unsafe water kills millions of people in the world

Do we know?

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What is Certification?

• It is a procedure for verifying that products conform to certain standards, either mandatory/compulsory or voluntarily.

• In the case of organic products, it is primarily the acknowledgement that such products have been produced according to the applicable organic production standards.

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Basic types of certification

• Mandatory or Compulsory (public) When products are sold to mainstream domestic market or

exported, national governments & exporting countries normally require standards & certification as part of food safety regulations (e.g., MRLs on pesticides use,Product Traceability).

• Voluntary (private) Decision to adhere to standards & apply for certification is

mainly a decision of the producing group for environmental, social, cultural, food safety purposes.

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Voluntary Certification Systems (for agriculture and food products)

• Environmental certification • Organic agriculture • ISO 14001 certification

• Social certification • Fair trade • Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000)

• Food safety and good practice certification • Good agricultural practices (GAP) • Good manufacturing practice (GMP)

• Certification for intrinsic quality (cultural) • Geographical indications (GI) • Halal

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Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)

Food retailers from around the world agreed to a common goal and strategy.

The Goal: Continuous improvement in food safety management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers

The Strategy: GFSI launched in 2000

GFSI is managed by CIES – The Food Business Forum an international organization of food businesses

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GFSI Guidance Document

Standard = Key Elements HACCP-Based Standards Food Safety Management System Best Practices Regulatory requirements

Operation of certification process Accreditation Certification Auditing

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Codex Alimentarius

• In Latin, Codex = Law, Alimentarius = Food • Hence, it is a “Food Law Commisson” • Set up by WHO & FAO in 1962:

– World Health Organization – Food and Agricultural Organization

• Aim: – To protect health of consumers worldwide – To guide food industry in defining standards – Promote harmonization of standards and facilitate

international trade – Standards for labelling, nutritional labelling, and HACCP

guidelines drawn in 1981, 1983, and 1993 respectively

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Codex Alimentarius • A Statutory Regulatory Body under Ministry of Health & Family

Welfare, Government of India

• Constituted on 5 Sep 2008

• Mandate of laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

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Safe Quality Food (SQF)

• The Safe Quality Food Program (SQF) is a food safety and quality management certification system

• SQF can be applied at all levels of the food supply chain – SQF 1000 applies to farmers and producers – SQF 2000 to food manufacturers and distributors

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Why You Need SQF Certification

Access to top retailers

Brand protection

Maximize efficiency and

consistency

Continuous improvement

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British Retail Consortium (BRC)

• The British Retail Consortium (or BRC) is one of the leading trade associations in the UK

• They represent all forms of retailers from small, independently owned stores, to big chain stores and department stores.

• This standard is used as the benchmark for food safety management.

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BRC Global Standards

• The retailers, food producers, importers, caterers, ingredient suppliers and the food service industry can all benefit greatly from this standard.

• It is well known for its global standards in four areas, producing much literature on these topics: – Food safety – Consumer products – Packaging and packaging materials – Storage and distribution

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Benefits

• Enhances your food safety and food safety management system

• Shows your commitment to producing safe food • Achieves recognition and acceptance from the UK

retailer community • Increases your customers product safety and

quality confidence • Reduces the number of supplier

audits/assessments

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International Food Safety (IFS)

• German and French food trade associations created IFS.

• Benefits of the standard include enhanced transparency along the food chain and a reduced number of customer audits resulting in cost savings.

• Certification to IFS by an independent third-party, helps suppliers demonstrate to retailers that their product safety, quality and legal obligations are fulfilled.

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Benefits

• commitment to supplying a safe quality food product

• Enhances product assurance • Minimizing product liability risks and recalls • reduce both internal and external audit costs by

using one uniform standard • raise your company's reputation, brand and

image • Continuous improvement through ongoing

surveillance and corrective actions.

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ISO 22000:2005

• ISO 22000 is an international standard ensures: – worldwide safe food supply chains and – provide a framework of internationally harmonised

requirements for the global approach that is needed.

• It implement the Codex Alimentarius HACCP • Used by from farm to fork (all chain members) • The standard can also be implemented solely for

the benefits it provides without certification of conformity.

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Benefits

Applies to all organizations in the global food supply chain. System approach, rather than product approach. Resource optimization ? internally and along the food chain. All control measures subjected to hazard analysis. Improved documentation. Dynamic communication A systematic and proactive approach to identification of food

safety hazards and development and implementation of control measures.

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HACCP

• Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point • History: Pillsbury and NASA. Well Aged. • 2 Functions: Systematic Approach • Define & Characterize Hazards, • Identify Critical Control Points (CCP’s)

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Benefits

• Enables you to demonstrate a commitment to food safety

• Conveys a degree of confidence required by consumers, retailers and buyers in the food industry

• Provides buyers, consumers, government enforcement and trade agencies with justified assurance that control systems are in place to assure the safe production of food

• Regular assessments help to continually monitor food safety system 23

Global GAP • Developed in 1997 in EU under the title Europe GAP • designed to reassure consumers about how food is

produced on the farm by : – minimizing detrimental environmental impacts of farming

operations, – reducing the use of chemical inputs and ensuring a responsible

approach to worker health and safety as well as – animal welfare.

• GLOBAL GAP is a private sector body that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe.

• It is an equal partnership of agricultural producers and retailers

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Key features of some standards

GFSI Benchmarked schemes5

International standards

BRC

IFS

SQF 2000

FSSC 22000

GlobalGAP

(FV)6

SQF 1000

ISO 22000 CODEX Hygiene Principles & other relevant

codes

Geographic focus

British market German, French and

Italian market

US and Australian

market

Europe International (mainly Europe)

US and Australian market

International International

Owners British retail members and

trade associations

German, French and Italian retail associations

US retailer associations

Foundation for Food Safety Certification

European retail associations

US retailer associations

International Standards

Organization

FAO/WHO

End users (who apply the std)

Food manufacturer

Food manufacturer

Food manufacturer

Food manufacturer

Primary producers

Primary producers entire food chain entire food chain

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Thank you!

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