
The product of an ongoing collaboration between the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the food industry, it aims to be an international, auditable standard defining food safety management along the entire food chain – “to ensure that there are no weak links”, as the ISO website explains. Published in September 2005, ISO 22000 food safety management systems – requirements for any organization in the food chain, is the new kid on the food block. All are actively used to help food retailers manage their supply chains and each standard supplies solutions in their respective markets. Existing food safety verification tools include the Dutch HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) Code, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Food Standard, the International Food Standard (IFS), the Safe Quality Food (SQF) protocol and the Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group Good Agricultural Practices (EurepGAP) standard. In response to these concerns, the food industry is active in trying to find solutions which improve food safety. Concerns over food safety have been front-page news in recent years, from mad cow disease to E.coli outbreaks, from the debate over Genetically Modified foods to Sudan red dyes. Oliver Cann investigates its role and the prospects for success. With the publication of ISO 22000 for food safety management, a new tool has been added to the food safety portfolio.
