ISO 22000/HACCP

With the globalization of food trade, there arose a need to harmonize the requirements of producing countries for the international market. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) joined efforts to establish the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Latin for “Food Law Commission”) and developed the HACCP system (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), based on the seven internationally recognized HACCP principles:

1. Hazard Analysis
2. Identification of Critical Control Points (CCPs)
3. Establishment of critical limits for each CCP
4. Establishment of monitoring procedures for CCPs
5. Development of corrective actions
6. Validation of the HACCP plan
7. Documentation and record-keeping of HACCP

HACCP is widely adopted as the only acceptable approach to food and beverage safety in many countries, and in some, it is part of mandatory regulatory requirements. HACCP is a prerequisite for exports to the United States and Canada. Food processors and manufacturers in European Union member states were required to implement HACCP by January 1, 2006, according to EU Regulation 852/2004. In Bulgaria, enterprises gradually implemented HACCP by January 1, 2007, with meat processing companies leading the process by January 1, 2006.

The ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard takes into account consumer expectations, with food safety being of paramount importance. Integrating ISO 9001:2008 with a Food Safety Management System is more effective for ensuring customer satisfaction than applying these systems separately.

To support the development of integrated quality management systems in food industry enterprises, ISO/TK 34 developed the complementary standard in 2001: ISO 15161:2001 – “Guidelines for the Application of ISO 9001:2000 in the Food and Drink Industry”, which covers all aspects of quality and provides recommendations on how to integrate HACCP into an existing quality management system.

The main idea of HACCP is to direct the enterprise’s resources to those stages of the production process and conditions that are critical to food safety, and to eliminate, prevent, or reduce the risk of foodborne illness, poisoning, or consumer injury to an acceptable level.

For HACCP to function effectively, it must be supported by enterprise management and developed and implemented as an integral part of the overall management processes of the organization.