FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System)

Early Supply Chain Level: Animal Feed Production

Animal Feed is critical for all animals used in the food supply chain. Animal feed shall be nutritious and safe for the animal and, therefore, safe for human food. The composition of animal feed is very complex and uses various food safety-sensitive ingredients and raw materials. Animal feed and its ingredients are also sourced, produced, and transported all over the world. When not controlled, food safety for animal feed manufacturing and the used ingredients can significantly impact the animals and the related food products.

The sector is bound by many regulations, and there are a variety of elements in the manufacturing of animal food that must be considered. Therefore, an in-depth food safety hazard analysis must be conducted and implemented in an effective food safety management system.

FSSC 22000 provides a certification Scheme that incorporates an in-depth hazard analysis in a robust food safety management system to control the food safety hazards, minimize risks, and assure animal feed manufacturing. The Scheme uses international standards such as ISO 22000 for food safety management and ISO/TS 22002-6, the sector-specific Pre-Requisite Program (PRP) for food manufacturing alongside additional FSSC 22000 certification requirements. With these standards, FSSC 22000 ensures consistent, high-quality audits monitored by an integrity program to measure and maintain performance for safe animal feed globally.

Early Supply Chain Level: Food Manufacturing

One of the most critical challenges for food manufacturers is to ensure the safety of their products. By nature, food is very vulnerable to deterioration, namely caused by the wide variety of raw materials and ingredients sourced from a diverse array of suppliers in combination with global and complex supply chains. The release of unsafe food to the market can significantly impact public health, resulting in loss of consumer confidence and damaged brand reputation.

As a risk-based food safety management system, FSSC 22000 provides a robust solution to meet this challenge through third-party certification assuring effective management to control food safety hazards, minimise risks and guarantee the production of safe food. The Scheme uses international standards such as ISO 22000 for food safety management and ISO 22002-1, the sector-specific Pre-Requisite Program (PRP) for food manufacturing together with additional FSSC 22000 certification requirements. With these standards, FSSC 22000 ensures consistent, high-quality audits monitored by an integrity program to measure and maintain delivery performance all over the world.

Mid Supply Chain Level: Transport and Storage

A critical element within the food supply chain is the transport and storage of food and packaging materials. Growers, manufacturers, and processors of food, as well as food service organisations and retailers, all rely on an intricate distribution network to ensure that products arrive safely and in good condition at their destination.

It is the responsibility of organisations involved in the transportation and storage of food to protect the foods, ingredients, and raw or packaging materials from hazards, contamination, and adulteration during transport and storage, including possible (re)packing activities.

FSSC 22000 provides a framework for food safety management and the use of best practices to achieve this. Furthermore, it gives customers assurance of the adherence to food safety standards throughout this stage of the supply chain.

End Consumer Level: Catering

Under instances of catering and food services called upon remote areas and outside the borders of in-house eating, this presents some of the highest difficulty, most diverse challenges within the food supply chain. Conducting ethical standards in respect towards the FSSC 22000 involves incredible and effective food safety management system.

This measurement includes identifying and controlling hygiene factors that are associated to food served to the audience that is safe to eat.

The handling, processing, and serving of a wide variety of hot and cold foods, often in close contact with the consumer, can be a complicated process. Inadequate controls and poor hygiene can result in major food safety incidents with adverse consequences, including damage to food service providers or suppliers’ reputation.

End Consumer Level: Retail and Wholesale

Prior to the feed and manufacturing process that would reach the retail & wholesale section, stringent quality inspection must be made at a complex stage at the beginning levels of the food supply chain.

Any forms of disruption in the distribution or production scale can result in the contamination of products that features high impact incidents. Consequentially, this leads to loss of trust amongst the consumers.

In relation to best practices, butchering activities centred to all forms of meat preparation – from chicken, to cow, and even marine filleting, to even backery preparation can add a high risk of sanitation processes.

Through this complexity of an operation, many retail & wholesale organisations are large in size, and some under several floors of stores as well as having operations throughout different countries. Food safety needs to be imposed across centralised and decentralised processes, with effective communication towards the governing body of FSSC 22000 is crucial amid ensure food safety regime.

The FSSC 22000 provides a certification scheme that ensures a robust food safety management system to control food safety hazards, minimise risks, and ensure safe food production. Reliability in delivering safe food contributes to consumer trust and, eventually, consumer loyalty