ISO 22000 Food Safety Information Center

ISO and FSSC 22000 Implementation

All-in-One Implementation Package

Companies around the world are using the All-in-One Documentation, Tools and Training package to simplify their implementation project. The package provides step-by-step guidance, presentation tools, computer-based training programs, checklists and documentation templates so your project manager has everything they need to run a successful project. Learn More

Action Plan for Implementation of ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000

You can now download a free Action Plan to help you plan and organize your implementation project. This action plan has 37 different tasks for your organization to complete to implement the food safety management system and prepare for registration. The plan will help you assign, schedule and track these key tasks to help you complete your project successfully and on time. This action plan is available free from www.22000-Tools.com when you subscribe to the informative newsletter series (also free).

Download your free action plan

Understanding the requirements of ISO 22000

When I am working with a company that is beginning to implement the Food Safety Management System, the first thing I want to do is help them understand what the standard is asking of them. I start by training the management team, and make sure to include the person who is most likely to lead the project or become the food safety team leader. (ISO 22000 requires that a company have a food safety team and a designated team leader).

In this training, the focus is an overview of the requirements, and the goal is to give attendees a good feel for what the standard is actually asking the company to do in order to implement the system. It is important that those supporting the project, and that will be providing resources to the project understand what they are committing to.

If you are responsible for this phase of the project, use a good PowerPoint training or Computerized Training that summarizes the requirements. I also recommend reading ahead in the next posts to get an idea of the steps you will follow so you can also answer questions about how the project plan as they come up

Food Safety Team Leader

Where HACCP requires a HACCP team and team leader, ISO 22000 requires a Food Safety Team and spells out responsibilities for the Food Safety Team Leader. One of the responsibilities the team leader will have now that may be new is to report to top management on the effectiveness and suitability of the food safety management team. They would also be a common choice to be the contact with the companies ISO 22000 Registrar, coordinating audits and corrective action responses.

Management Review

Another piece of the system that may be new to your organization is management review. Management review is a meeting where top management focuses entirely on the performance of the management system. This is really a jewel in the system. A company can gain tremendous improvements with effective management reviews. A typical structure for this system is to have meetings on a scheduled basis, quarterly is effective in many cases, and follow a structured agenda addressing the required items in the standard and topics specific to your organization- remembering that the focus is performance of the management system.

The foundation of management review is the quality goals and objectives established as the management system is designed and built. This is the key benchmark that the performance of the system will be measured against. Management review will also be where these goals and objectives will be evaluated and updated to keep them relevant and to drive continual improvement. I can't emphasize enough what a valuable tool management review is. I have seen more gains and improvements out of this piece of the management system than any others. When done effectively and with commitment. It truly drives continual improvement.

Documentation of Processes

Documenting processes provides control and consistency of how processes are performed. You will need to document procedures called out by the standard as well as those required to ensure control of other processes in your FSMS. This means that your FSMS will have more documented procedures than just those specifically named in the standard but these procedures will be useful documents. They will ensure that processes are being done as management planned and approved. Conversely, they will ensure that management knows how processes are being performed. Documented  procedures will also make sure that different people perform the process the same way. You will not be writing the procedure and putting it in a book on the shelf to collect dust, you will be building a system where documented procedures and work instructions will become an important and integral part of your system.