Effect of ISO 22000 to the global food supply chain
In recent years, food safety has become the hot issue of consumers when information about food poisoning cases or food safety scandals has raised more and more.
In 2004, at least 13 children in Fujian province (China,) died from malnutrition after being nourishing with milk of a little or no nutritional value. In 2008, at least six babies were killed and about 300,000 others became ill after drinking melamine-contaminated powdered milk.
The Chinese government has been control strictly the implement of food safety regulations to restore citizen trust. However, consumers around the world are worry about how long China will maintain the effectiveness of food safety control when China exports about 63% of amount of material for food industry to the world.
In developed countries, the food industry has appeared progress in preventing food safety incidents thanks to standards and management methods to prevent food safety risks in the entire supply chain. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point - HACCP is an internationally recognized management method as an important risk management measure for food safety, based on 07 basic principles which allow identify of hazards, critical control points and implement the monitoring and verification measures to ensure food safety. In 1998, the British Retail Association developed the BRC (British Retail Consortium) for food safety to provide a general standard for verification and approval. Since, companies supplying food to UK retailers shall follow BRC requirements or in the opposite site, they won’t maintain their business in the UK. BRC has become the first standard in the world that was approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative at that time
The standard for food safety management under the BRC was not widely available until ISO 22000 for food safety management systems was published by the International Organization for Standardization in 2005. This standard is unified and comprehensive standards in the management of the food supply chain. ISO 22000 is a food safety management standard based on an international Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system which was recognized through the consultation process and approval of at least 75% of ISO member states. This standard provides a logical and effective platform to identify hazards and implement control methods. And the most important thing of this standard is that this standard pave a way for preventing food insecurity.
According to the results of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) survey in 2010, by the end of December 2010, at least 18,630 food companies in 138 countries around the world had been certificated ISO 22000. The most certified companies belong to Europe and the Far East. Although there are oppions that ISO 22000 is not specific and detailed enough to meet the needs of food safety control for interested parties.
But regardless data on the number of companies that applies and certificed of ISO 22000 has grown steadily over the years, it illustrates that ISO 22000 is becoming an important requirement for food safety control requirements and joining the global food supply chain.
Translator: Department of Administration