Food safety compliance levels and certification schemes

The food industry is regulated by local and international organizations thus compliance to set of standards and certification schemes demonstrates a food business organizations?ability to produce, manufacture, process or package food in a way that that does not pose food safety risks to consumers.

To attain food safety compliance, you must start from somewhere, just like baby steps. There are levels to food safety compliance and certification. Let’s look at food safety compliance from 3 levels?(bottom to top):

Level 1: This involves adherence to local food safety laws in the country or region which the food business organization operates in. For example National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), etc are local regulatory agencies in Nigeria that provide requirements that food companies must adhere to.

Level 2: ?This involves implementation, audit, compliance and certification to?voluntary?non-GFSI recognized?standards like Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point?(HACCP) and ISO 22000:2018 food safety management system.?

GMPs provide the building block for a successful food safety management system implementation. Think of them as foundation or pre-requisite programs that must be in place to foster food safety. ?

HACCP?certification recognizes that a food business organization has developed, documented and implemented systems for the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the?end?product.

ISO 22000:2018 by International Organization for Standardization (ISO)?is a global food safety management system standard that covers requirements for any organization in the food chain.?Despite the popularity of ISO 22000 as a food safety management system standard, GFSI does not recognize it. GFSI-recognized standards must successfully pass through GFSI benchmarking process.

Level 3: This involves implementation audit, compliance and certification to?GFSI-recognized certifications.?GFSI?- Global Food Safety Initiative is a coalition of 44 retailers and manufacturers from the Consumer Goods Forum, world leading food safety experts and other stakeholders overseeing food safety standards for businesses and ensuring access to safe food for consumers worldwide. They provide a framework for benchmarking food safety standards for the food supply chain.?Popular GFSI-recognized food safety certification schemes include: FSSC 22000, BRCGS and SQF. Certification to any of these schemes demonstrates strong commitment to food safety compliance, high reputation and access to foreign markets.

Food Safety System Certification (FSSC?22000)

FSSC?is a?globally recognized food safety certification scheme. It is made up of?3 requirements: ISO 22000,?ISO/TS 22002-1?and?additional FSSC requirements.?Having FSSC certification?as a company shows commitment to?compliance with international food safety management standards.

British Retail Consortium Global Standards?(BRCGS)

Developed in 1992 by the British Retail Consortium?(BRC),?BRCGS?is a leading quality and food safety certification program for food products widely used in the UK, Europe and USA/Canada. BRCGS has primary focus on the manufacturing and processing of food products.

Safe Quality Food (SQF) program

SQF is a comprehensive food safety and quality assurance certification program?that focuses on the entire supply chain, including food production, packaging, storage, and distribution.?The?Safe Quality Food Institute?is?in charge of SQF certification programs.

Dear reader, this months newsletter is to throw more light on food safety certification schemes for food business organizations.?Stay safe out there, until next time! ?

Written and edited by:?@Chidinma Ochulor, MIFST, MNIFST for Let's Talk FOOD!?newsletter.

Chidinma is:

• a Certified Food Scientist?of Nigeria,?
• a food manufacturing, food safety and quality professional and
• is certified by CQI/IRCA as a food safety management systems lead auditor.