The ISO 22000 standard for food safety management systems really adds value to your HACCP system. An ISO 22000 compliant HACCP system establishes prerequisite programmes to assist in controlling the introduction of food safety hazards to the product through the work environment, preventing contamination of the product and limiting food safety hazard levels in the product and product environment as prescribed in clause 7.2.
ISO 22000 clause 7.2.3 states that construction and lay-out of buildings/premises, workspace, employee facilities; supplies of utilities, waste disposal, adequate equipment, management of purchased materials, storage and transport, prevention of cross contamination, sanitation, pest control and personnel hygiene should be taken into consideration when establishing prerequisite programmes.The first step in developing an ISO 22000 compliant HACCP system is to establish a food safety team multi-disciplinary knowledge and experience. The food safety team are required to carry out a number of preliminary steps in order to carry out the hazard analysis.The first step for the team in implementing an ISO 2000 compliant HACCP system is to describe the product characteristics (Clause 7.3.3) including raw materials, ingredients, product contact materials and end product including its intended use(Clause 7.3.4) .. Descriptions of each process step and the existing control measures applied at each step must then be described by the food safety team.This is the last step required prior to hazard analysis.
The food safety team now conduct a hazard analysis, as per the requirements of ISO 22000 clause 7.4.2, to identify all the food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur. Clauses 7.4.3 and 7.4.4 prescribe that the food safety team should assess each hazard identified then select control measures to the defined acceptable level. Control measures are categorised as part of the HACCP plan controlled by operational prerequisite programmes based on an assessment of their effectiveness in eliminating the food safety hazard by the food safety team. Operational prerequisite programmes must be documented and include the food safety hazard to be controlled, the control measure, the monitoring procedures, corrections and corrective actions to be taken if out of control, the responsibilities and authorities and the records to be completed as defined in ISO 22000 clause 7.5.
Following the ISO 22000 systematic approach the next step is for the food safety team to establish the HACCP plan. Standard CODEX HACCP principles, identification of critical control points, determination of critical limits for each critical control point, monitoring of critical control points and actions when monitoring results exceed critical limits are included in ISO 22000 clause 7.6. Verification is included in clause 7.8.The HACCP plan documents the food safety hazard to be controlled at the critical control point, the control measure, the monitoring procedures, critical limits the records to be used, the corrections and corrective actions to be taken if out of control, and responsibilities and authorities. Clause 8.2 describes the requirement for validation of operational PRP and HACCP plan control measures and combinations. Documentation requirements are specified in ISO 22000 clause 4.2.
After the operational PRP(s) and/or the HACCP plan have been established ISO 22000 has a further requirement with regards to implementing a HACCP system in that clause 7.7 prescribes the need for updating of , product characteristics, intended use, flow diagrams, process steps and control measures.After updating the preliminary information the food safety team should then decide if the HACCP plan and/or prerequisite programmes documents need to be amended. When verification results do not indicate conformity ISO 22000 requires the food safety team to review of the conclusions of the hazard analysis, operational PRPs and the HACCP plan as per clause 8.4.2.Finally ISO 22000 clause 8.5.2 prescribes that the food safety team evaluate the food safety management system at planned intervals, based on this review the team must then consider whether it is necessary to review the hazard analysis, operational PRP(s) and the HACCP plan.