What are the Key Prerequisites for a Food Safety Certification?

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The food industry's supply chain includes a variety of stakeholders, ranging from farms and food manufacturers to retailers and restaurants or hotels. Establishing strong food safety management systems is crucial for food businesses to ensure the safety and quality of their products and to comply with all food safety regulations. Increasingly, both large and small companies find it necessary to obtain a widely recognized international food safety certification to enhance their reputation or gain access to broader markets. The industry's numerous safety certifications and acronyms can appear complex and challenging to interpret, but understanding the levels of food safety compliance will guide your facility in prioritizing the processes and procedures needed to achieve the desired food safety certifications.

The 3 Main Standards of Food Safety To Master Before a Food Safety Certification

Before reaching out to a CPO (Certified Program Owner) to be audited for compliance with GFSI standards for one of the most recognizable food safety certifications, such as SQF, FSSC, BRC, or IFS, it is essential that the basic food safety standards are covered. These three main basic standards are GMP, ISO 22000, and HACCP.

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GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)

GMPs outline the general conditions or practices within a food processing facility, and more detailed sanitation procedures and standard operating procedures that are specific to each site should be developed for every plant. GMPs are applicable to all aspects of a food operation, including receiving, storage, processing, handling, employee hygiene, and the shipping of the finished product. Each processing facility must have a tailored, written GMP program. This is the most basic food safety document that a facility should have in place and allows for other food safety programs to be built off of it. 

ISO 22000

ISO 22000 is an international standard for food safety management systems that encompasses the entire food supply chain. It outlines the requirements for establishing a food safety management system and allows for certification. This standard provides a framework for organizations to demonstrate their capability to manage food safety hazards, ensuring the safety of food products. It is applicable to any organization, regardless of its size or role within the food chain. Although ISO 22000 and HACCP are considered crucial food safety programs, they are not directly recognized by GFSI. Nevertheless, they are components of a robust food safety program and can be essential depending on the GFSI-recognized food safety certification being pursued.

HACCP

HACCP is a system designed to analyze and manage biological, chemical, and physical hazards from the production and handling of raw materials through to the manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of the final product. Beyond the practices outlined in GMP, HACCP introduces additional requirements for mitigating risks associated with products and ingredients, as well as ensuring traceability. An HACCP certification signifies that a food business has established, documented, and implemented systems and procedures in line with HACCP standards.

Learn more about HACCP and Automated Hygiene here

Automated Makes Employee Hygiene a Breeze for Food Safety Certifications

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Regardless of which food safety certification a facility is hoping to achieve, Automated Hygiene Equipment is an addition that significantly simplifies and streamlines the audit and food safety program validation process, making it both easy and straightforward. The Automated Hygiene equipment is designed to seamlessly integrate into any HACCP/ISO 22000 plan, ensuring that it not only meets but also surpasses the handwashing requirements set forth by any GFSI recognized hygiene program. Equipped with advanced built-in compliance monitors, this equipment provides a reliable and efficient way to gather and present comprehensive data on hygiene compliance, which is crucial when an audit occurs. This ensures that facilities can confidently demonstrate their commitment to hygiene standards, thereby enhancing their credibility in the eyes of auditors and stakeholders alike.

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