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Crucial role of certification in assuring food safety standards
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Wednesday, 10 March, 2021, 14 : 00 PM [IST]
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Sanjay Indani & Khushbu Shah
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In today’s lifestyle, health, hygiene and regulations are one of the most important factors that play an important role in the life of the people. In order to conform to all these needs, the food management systems are certified through various international certification bodies. Food Safety standards are evolved and addressing key requirements like safety, quality, legality and integrity of the food products.
The food safety certification is a third-party verification that products, processes or systems in the food supply chain meet accepted food safety standards. It is different from other systems of proof of conformity such as supplier declarations, laboratory test reports or inspection body reports.
The food industry is one of the industries that need to be very conscious about the food safety and quality compliances.
Addition to food safety certification, the product certification attests that a food product complies with the safety, fitness for use and/or interchangeably characteristics defined in standards, and in specifications supplementary to standards, where they are requested by the market.
An organisation which has been certified as per any food safety standard gives a kind of confidence that the organization has executed the food management system appropriately and has obeyed with all the products, processes, services and activities with the food safety policy of an organisation.
A food organisation can be certified by a food safety certification irrespective of its size. An organisation has to demonstrate the ability to control the hazards related to the food safety in order to make sure, that the food is safe at the time of human consumption.
Aspects covered during the certification program of a food organisation:
• Proper cleaning and sanitising all surfaces, equipment and utensils.
• Understanding legal obligations with regards to food handling.
• Maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene.
• Usage of safe water and safe raw materials.
• Preventing contamination of food with pathogens spreading from people, pets and pests.
• Storing, preparing and cooking food correctly with regards to temperature, environment and equipment.
• Understanding food allergies, food intolerance and how cross-contamination occurs.
• Understanding how food poisoning can occur and how to keep customers safe from harmful bacteria.
• Executing effective pest control measures.
There is a focus on the compliance to GMP-GHP in addition to the system specific requirements. Recently the significance of Food Fraud and Food Defence is increasing in the standards. This helps organisation to have adequate controls on the supply and distribution chain.
Few Popular Food Safety Certifications:
• BRC – British Retail Consortium
• HACCP – Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points
• FSSC 22000 – Food Safety Certification
• IFS – International Food Standard
• ISO 22000 – Food Safety Management System
• Non GMO
• Organic
• Global GAP
Need for Food Safety Certification by the food businesses:
A food business having a food safety certification assures to the consumers and the marketplace that it has successfully met the requirements of a national or an internationally recognised best practise approach. A food safety certification by a third party to a food business ensures good governance and corporate responsibility. The certified food businesses have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
According to the national survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, dirty tables, utensils or restrooms were among the top complaints by the consumers, followed by poor personal hygiene. Such type of complaints or food safety failures hampers the reputation of a food organisation. In this scenario, gaining food safety training will help an organisation to execute appropriate practise and deliver hygienic services to its consumers.
Food safety certification ensures compliance to key requirements like Traceability. The tracking and tracing is important to have traceability in place. Increasing concern of allergens require adequate allergen management program in place. Regulations like FSMA require strict implementation of allergen management. FSSAI also has incorporated labelling declaration of the allergens.
Need for more than one food safety certificate:
In some instances, a food company may require more than one food safety certification, the reason being the food industry around the world is not standardised, governments in some countries may demand for a specific certification while retailers or manufacturers may ask for another.
In many developed countries, the government has set their own standards but in order to export their products they might need another international food safety certification which would be accepted by the countries which imports products. Sometimes, the retailers ask their suppliers to get certified to a specific scheme such as BRC, HACCP or SQF. A food organisation being certified to one of the food safety schemes which are under the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) will help them to reduce the business overall costs as these standards are increasingly being recognised and accepted by governments and retailers around the world.
In 2000, the Consumer Goods Forum established the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) to increase the safety of the world's food supply and to harmonise food safety regulations worldwide. In 2013, a university research team in conjunction with Diversey Consulting (Sealed Air), the Consumer Goods Forum, and officers of GFSI solicited input from more than 15,000 GFSI-certified food producers worldwide to determine whether GFSI certification had lived up to these expectations. A total of 828 usable questionnaires were analysed, representing about 2,300 food manufacturing facilities and food suppliers in 21 countries, mainly across Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Nearly 90 per cent of these certified suppliers perceived GFSI as being beneficial for addressing their food safety concerns, and respondents were eight times more likely to repeat the certification process knowing what it entailed. Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of these food manufacturers would choose to go through the certification process again even if certification were not required by one of their current retail customers. Important drivers for becoming GFSI certified included continuing to do business with an existing customer, starting to do business with new customer, reducing the number of third-party food safety audits, and continuing improvement of their food safety program. Although 50 per cent or fewer respondents stated that they saw actual increases in sales, customers, suppliers, or employees, significantly more companies agreed than disagreed that there was an increase in these key performance indicators in the year following GFSI certification. A majority of respondents (81 per cent) agreed that there was a substantial investment in staff time since certification, and 50 per cent agreed there was a significant capital investment. This survey is the largest and most representative of global food manufacturers conducted to date.
Benefits of Food Safety Certification:
Food Safety Standards is one of the common requirements for doing a food business. Having a fully certified food safety management system includes benefits such as –
• A well-executed food safety management system helps a food business to consistently produce a safe and quality food that meets the consumers expectations.
• A food safety management system helps in demonstrating that the management is meeting its legal responsibilities in relation to food safety legislation and regulation and is doing so effectively.
• A systemised approach towards the processes ensures that the employees are involved in the business and are aware of food safety concerns before they become larger problems.
• A food safety certification ensures the compliances to legal requirements of the country of origin and destination country.
• A food safety certification enables the food business to work in the world market thereby reducing barriers to international trade.
• A food organisation after getting certified strengthens the confidence of customers in their products.
• Dynamic communication on food safety issues with suppliers, customers, regulators and other interested parties.
• Products from a certified food organisation are accepted around the world.
Limitations faced by a food organisation to get a food safety certificate:
• Financial limitation.
• Difficulty to find suitable certification body.
• Lack of experience by the employees.
• Difficulty of finding a suitable competent consultant.
• Need large funding for development, implementation and maintenance of the organization to pursue a food safety certificate.
• No knowledge to implement quality and food safety system.
• Lack of commitment and monitoring by the management.
• Less awareness of the importance of implementing a food safety certification.
• High amount of time consumption for training.
• Lack of motivation among the employees.
• Small food companies encounter financial difficulties in implementing food safety certification.
(Indani, is a Food Safety Expert and Trainer at SafeFoodz Solutions, and Shah is Food safety Advisor and trainer. They can be reached at safefoodz@gmail.com)
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