Whatever their size, or product, all food producers have a responsibility to manage the safety of their products and the well-being of their consumers. That’s why ISO 22000 exists.

The consequences of unsafe food can be serious. ISO’s food safety management standards help organisations identify and control food safety hazards, at the same time as working together with other ISO management standards, such as ISO 9001. Applicable to all types of producer, ISO 22000 provides a layer of reassurance within the global food supply chain, helping products cross borders and bringing people food that they can trust.

ISO’s food standards benefit producers and manufacturers, regulators and retailers and, most important of all, you and me, the consumers.

Why ISO 22000?

ISO 22000 sets out the requirements for a food safety management system and can be certified to it. It maps out what an organisation needs to do to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe. It can be used by any organisation regardless of its size or position in the food chain.

The International Standard for Food Safety Management

The consequences of unsafe food can be serious, especially when supply chains span national and international borders. Having a robust food safety management system in place is critical to the success of any business in the food industry.

ISO 22001: 2005 sets out the requirements for a food safety management system. It maps out what your business needs to do to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe. It can be used by any organisation, regardless of its size or position in the food chain.

What are the main changes to the standard?

The major proposed changes to the standard include modifications to its structure as well as clarifying key concepts such as:

• The high level structure: in order to make it easier to integrate ISO 22001 with other ISO standards, the new version will follow the same high level structure.
• The risk approach: the standard now includes a different approach to understanding risk.
• The PDCA cycle: the standard clarifies the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, by having two separate cycles in the standard working together: one covering the management system and the other, covering the principles of HACCP.
• The operation process: a clear description is given of the differences between key terms such as: Critical Control Points (CCPs), Operational Prerequisite Programmes (OPRPs) and Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs).

The main hazards  are typically categorised into three groups:

1. Biological Hazards: These include harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Common examples are Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which can cause foodborne illnesses.

2. Chemical Hazards: These involve harmful substances that can contaminate food, such as pesticides, food additives, and cleaning agents. Chemical contamination can lead to acute poisoning or long-term health issues like cancer.

3. Physical Hazards: These are foreign objects that can accidentally get into food, such as glass, metal fragments, or plastic. Physical hazards can cause injury or choking.

Understanding and controlling these hazards is crucial for ensuring food safety. Do you need information on how to manage these hazards?

The industry is a very complex part of a community. Several factors, including biological, physical, and chemical objects, are combined and come in contact with the processing of food. This essence of the foodservice industry tells us that food safety hazards will never be absent from the food chain. These hazards will always be present in any food business.

Food hazards can only be prevented, minimised, or eliminated by implementing preventive and control measures. Fortunately, there are many smart ways to manage food safety hazards efficiently. In this article, we will cover the main knowledge one should know about food safety hazards and how to limit  them from occurring.

Food safety hazards are the main cause of foodborne illnesses. They are capable of causing diseases or injuries to consumers, which can be mild or life-threatening.

What are food safety hazards?

Food safety hazards are any substance found within the food supply chain that can contaminate food materials and cause unwanted health conditions to the public. The presence of food safety hazards in products is considered as food contamination.

These hazards contaminate raw materials and finished products due to exposure to potential sources. Contamination by food safety hazards can occur anywhere in the food supply chain, including harvesting, transit, processing, packaging, delivery, serving, and even storage.

Food safety hazards can either be naturally present in foods or be introduced from external sources. Different foods have their association with particular food safety hazards. An example would be the high relationship of peanuts to potent fungal toxins such as aflatoxin Since this type of food safety hazard can be deadly with long-term exposure, strict food safety laws have been established for them.

Additionally, chemical food safety hazards such as acrylamide are common indicators of temperature abuse for heated products and can cause adverse health effects.

Any type of food safety hazard can potentially cause significant foodborne illnesses and injury, especially for immune compromised individuals such as the elderly, children, and pregnant women. All food handlers must know basic information about food safety hazards. This task is the first step in knowing how to address them properly.

Each type of food safety hazard would need a specific food safety practice to control them.

Ensure that all potential food safety hazards are controlled in your food business with the help of our comprehensive and smart Food Safety Management System.