1. Understanding 22000 Food Safety Management Systems
This training is an overview of the FSSC and ISO Standards. If you have questions, contact us at For a more detailed explanation of the requirements use the Online Training Program “Understanding Food Safety Management Systems” from
As you present, remember that the FSSC Certification is based on the ISO/TS Standard plus the ISO (for food manufacturers). The previous version of this document was called the PAS 220; but it has been replaced by ISO/TS If your company will be working towards FSSC Certification you will need to meet the requirements of ISO 22000, ISO/TS and several requirements that are published in the FSSC document “Part I Requirements for organizations that require certification”, available at
Additional Resources:
22000 All-in-One Implementation Kit from Everything you need to prepare your company for certification, including:
Project Plan and Task Lists, ISO Checklist, ISO/TS Checklist (PAS 220), Food Safety Manual Template, 21 Procedure Templates, 28 Forms Templates, 15 Prerequisite Program Templates, 15 Procedure Tutorials and 4 Training Programs with Certificates.
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2. What is FSSC 22000?
A set of requirements for a Food Safety Management System (FSMS)
It was developed to fill the need for a worldwide Food Safety Standard
Worldwide there is a trend towards 3rd party certification for food safety management systems. As the food that we manufacture and distribute becomes more global each year, the number of risks to food safety increase as well. More and more companies are requesting their suppliers to become certified.

3. The 22000 Standards, ISO and FSSC 22000
Many standards already exist worldwide...
ISO and FSSC have global acceptance
FSSC is a GFSI Benchmarked standard
There have been an abundance of food safety standards in use, the problem was that they were not equivalent. It was hard to know what each certification really meant. Two improvements have taken place in recent years.
1) ISO was developed following the well tested and accepted ISO Management Systems Model, leading to worldwide acceptance of ISO registrations. 2) The “Global Food Safety Initiative”, (GFSI) has “benchmarked” standards. This is important because major retailers worldwide: Carrefour, Tesco, ICA, Metro, Migros, Ahold, Wal-Mart and Delhaize agreed to reduce duplication in the supply chain through the common acceptance of any of the GFSI benchmarked schemes. Many other food service, retail and manufacturing companies have now joined this approach. This means that many suppliers are requesting a GFSI Benchmarked scheme.
If your customers want to see a GFSI recognized certification, you will need to use FSSC 22000, ISO is not recognized. This is because GFSI determine that the prerequisite programs requirements were not specific enough. To address this concern, FSSC Scheme was developed. It adds the requirements of the ISO/TS so that specific prerequisite program requirements are included in the certification. (GFSI recognized certifications include SQF Level 2, BRC, IFS and others)

4. FSSC 22000
FSSC 22000
Applies to Food manufacturers or food packaging manufacturers
Uses ISO for the food safety management system requirements
Uses an additional document for prerequisite requirements
Food Manufacturers/Processors - ISO/TS
Food Packaging Manufacturers - PAS 223
Because the prerequisite requirements in ISO are not specific to food manufacturing, the scope of the standard is more broad. It can be applied to an stage of the supply chain.
FSSC is more limited in scope. When the ISO is used, the certification is only applicable to food processors/manufacturers.
The PAS 223 contains prerequisite program requirements for Food Packaging Materials Manufacturers.
The FSSC scope will continue to expand as new prerequisite program documents are developed for different industry sectors.

5. What is ISO 22000? Sections 4 - 8 Contain the requirements
ISO Standard
Section 1: Scope
Section 2: Normative Reference
Section 3: Terms & Definitions
Section 4: General Requirements
Section 5: Management Responsibility
Section 6: Resource Management
Section 7: Planning & Realization of Safe Products
Section 8: Validation, Verification & Improvement
Lets look at the requirements of ISO These are the management systems requirements and they will apply to both ISO certifications and FSSC certifications.
The requirements are found in sections 4 through 8 of the standard. Sections 1-3 contain information, but not requirements.

6. 4.1 General
Establish an effective Food Safety Management System (FSMS)
Keep it current
So lets start with section 4, where the actual requirements begin. This presentation covers the highlights, to give employees or management a general idea of what is required for the management system. For a more detailed explanation of the requirements, use the online training program “Understanding Food Safety Management Systems” at
Section 4.1 has the overall, general requirements that your organization build an effective food safety management system and keep it current. You will do this by following the more detailed requirements in the rest of the standard.

7. 4.2 Documentation Requirements
Document your system
Control your documents
Like any good management system, this one must be documented, and those documents kept current and controlled. You want to make sure that everyone is able to find the correct, current information to do their job.

8. 4.2 Records Maintain required records Control your records
Records are your way of demonstrating that you have adhered to your food safety management system requirements. Your employees have worked hard to follow the approved, documented procedure and perform processes correctly. Take credit for that by keeping clear, detailed, accurate records that show the good work!

9. 5.1 Management Commitment
Management must be involved in and committed to the FSMS.
Objectives support safety
Everyone knows the importance of meeting the requirements
Without management involvement and commitment the system will not get far. Resources must be provided, the system cannot be created without management being behind the effort. Build objectives that support the food safety policy, and create a culture where employees know that meeting requirements is expected and valued.

10. 5.2 Food Safety Policy Management creates for Food Safety Policy
Management is responsible for communicating the policy
Management is responsible for ensuring that the policy is implemented
Your food safety policy is your way of communicating what you want to achieve with your food safety management system. Make it a strong statement about your commitment to providing safe product. Communicate it and implement it!

11. 5.3 FSMS Planning
As top management, take an active role in planning the system
Be involved in the design and implementation
Make sure the integrity is maintained as changes are made
Do not hand off the implementation to on department and wait to hear that you are ready for your certification audit. Be involved in the development, be on a “steering team” that monitors the progress and helps make important decisions on the design of the system.

12. 5.4 Responsibility and Authority
Define responsibilities and authority
Communicate them
Everyone is responsible for reporting problems with the FSMS - make sure they know that
Document a clear organizational chart and job descriptions. Make responsibilities and authorities known.

13. 5.5 Food Safety Team Leader
Appointed by top management
Reports to top management on the status of the FSMS
Top management must appoint a food safety team leader. They will be a key individual in both the development and the on going maintenance of the system.

14. 5.6 Communication Establish a system for external communication
Establish a system for internal communication
Without communication, errors and food safety hazards can occur. Put clear communication channels in place, make sure they are well defined and understood.

15. 5.7 Emergency Preparedness
Be prepared to respond to emergency situations
Prepare an emergency plan to address potential situations:
Fire
Flood
Accidents
Contamination
Others...
Think about the emergency situations that might occur at your facility. Identify the potential situations, and plan for them.

16. 5.8 Management Review Key step in a Management Systems approach
Management meets to evaluate the performance of the FSMS
You will continue to be involved in the maintenance and improvement of the Food Safety Management System. Management review is one tool you will use to evaluate and improve the performance of the system. Management review will take place at least once/year. Quarterly meetings can be very effective.

17. 6 Resource Management
Top management is responsible for providing the resources required
Human resources
Infrastructure
Work Environment
People are one of the resources you will need to provide. Your employees must be qualified and trained for the positions and responsibilities that they have.
The work environment and infrastructure must be sufficient to produce safe product. If you roof is leaking, or traffic patterns are bad you have a food safety risk. Part of building your system is making sure that the facilities provide the conditions needed to create safe product. Changes may be needed, and that can mean more resources needed as part of the implementation of the system.

18. 7 Planning & Realization of Safe Product
Your organization will need to plan all of the processes that go into making your product in order to ensure a safe end product
Section 7 addresses the actual production of your product, from planning to realization.

19. 7.2 Prerequisite Program Prerequisite Programs:
Basic Conditions and activities that are necessary to maintain a hygienic environment throughout the food chain
The Food safety Team establishes PRPs
For FSSC you will also include prerequisite programs to meet the requirements of ISO/TS (or PAS 223 for food packaging manufacturers)
Prerequisite programs must be implemented. This is where you will use the ISO/TS (or other PAS for your industry). If you are pursuing FSSC you must follow the requirements in this document.
If you are pursuing ISO ISO/TS is a very good document to use to build your PRPs. Also, if you base your PRPs on this document, you could easily transition to FSSC in the future if there was a need to do so.
For more detailed training see for our Prerequisite Templates Package and Online training “Prerequisite Programs”.

20. 7.3 Preliminary Steps The Food Safety Team
Identifies product characteristics
Describe intended use
Prepare flow diagrams
Describe process steps and control measures
The food safety team has specific responsibilities for the system identified throughout section 7 and 8. It is important to build an effective team. Include representatives from throughout the facility.
They play a key role in planning. This section 7.3 Preliminary Steps has requirements for collecting information that will be used for hazard analysis.

21. 7.4 Hazard Analysis The Food Safety Team
Verifies the accuracy of the flow diagrams
Conducts hazard analysis to identify potential food safety hazards
Selects control measures to prevent or eliminate those hazards
Once the information has been collected the food safety team will analyze it and identify hazards and related control measures that will be used to reduce or eliminate the hazard. All identified hazards must be eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels through the use of controls.
Controls include prerequisite programs, critical control points and operational prerequisite programs.

22. 7.5 Establish Operational PRPs
Similar to a Critical Control Point, an Operational Prerequisite Program is a control point where biological, physical, or chemical hazards identified in hazard analysis can be controlled.
Your food safety team will determine if the control point is a CCP or oPRP using the decision criteria in Section 7 of the standard.
The Food Safety Team establishes Operational PRPs
Operational prerequisite programs are actually more similar to a critical control point than they are to a prerequisite program. You will be classifying your controls as Critical Control Points or Operational Prerequisite Programs based on the criteria in section of the standard. A decision tree is a good tool to use to make the determination.

23. 7.6 Establish the HACCP Plan
The Food Safety Team
Documents the HACCP plan
The HACCP Plans must be documented, and verified as accurate by the food safety team.

24. 7.7 Updating The Food Safety Team
Updates any preliminary information that may have changed during or as a result of the hazard analysis
Once you complete the HACCP plan, make sure none of the preliminary information has changed. If it has, update it and go through the hazard analysis with the new information. It may result in changes to your HACCP plan.

25. 7.8 Verification Planning
Identify what verification activities are required including verification of PRPs, the HACCP Plan and other procedures.
Verification will include internal audits, any food safety or GMP audits, verification of cleaning records and HACCP records and other activities that you identify for your system.
A good approach is to prepare a verification calendar with all of the required activities.

26. 7.9 Traceability
A traceability system ensures that the identification of product is maintained from raw material to delivery.
Establish the traceability of product
From supplier to distribution
Identify materials, ingredients product and packaging so you can do a trace of any material or ingredient from use to delivery to customer.

27. 7.10 Control of Nonconformity
When a control limit is exceeded or a PRP is found to be out of control affected product must be controlled.
Corrections
Corrective actions
Handling of potentially unsafe product
The HACCP plan will need to include the planned actions that will be taken if there is an out of control CCP or PRP. This must include how to determine what product may have been affected, and how the product will be controlled.

28. 8.2 Validation, & 8.3 Control of Measuring & Monitoring
All measuring equipment must be capable of the required measurements and show calibration to national or international standards.
Calibrate and control measuring equipment to ensure that measurements are valid
All measuring equipment must be capable of the required measurements and show calibration to national or international standards.

29. 8.4 Verification Establish and document an internal audit process
The Food Safety Team evaluates and analyzes verification results
The Food Safety Team takes any necessary action
Internal audits are one of the verification activities that is required. You will need to train internal auditors and establish an internal audit program.
The food safety team is responsible for evaluating all verification results. This means looking at the results of internal audits, food safety audits, PRP verifications, and HACCP verifications. Look for trends, effectiveness or any issues. The conclusions from or results of the analysis must be included in management review.

30. 8.5 Improvement Continually improve the FSMS through the use of:
Management review
Internal audits
Corrective actions
Verification results
Validation results
You will use these systems to improve your Food Safety Management System.

31. 8.5 Updating the FSMS
Top management is responsible for seeing that the FSMS is continually updated
The Food Safety Management Team evaluates the FSMS at planned intervals
Once you have your system implemented, you will begin to work to keep it up to date and to improve it. Management is responsible for the effectiveness of the system.
Management review meetings are a great way to stay informed on the status of the system, evaluate the system for any needed changes, actions or improvements and to drive the continual improvement of the system.
As you develop your system, consider using the procedure templates developed by our professionals. They are available in the All-in-One package or in the Template Package at

32. Quiz
This has been an overview of the requirements of the ISO standard.
Now it is time for a quiz.
A quiz and answers are included in your trainers guide. Use the quiz to measure the effectiveness of the training, and as a record of training for the attendees.