The requirements of ISO 22000 prescribe a comprehensive systematic way to producing a HACCP system that would be of great benefit to any organisation. An ISO 22000 compliant HACCP system establishes prerequisite programmes to assist in controlling the introduction of food safety hazards to the product through the work environment, preventing contamination of the product and limiting food safety hazard levels in the product and product environment as prescribed in clause 7.2.
ISO 22000 clause 7.2.3 states that construction and lay-out of buildings/premises, workspace, employee facilities; supplies of utilities, waste disposal, adequate equipment, management of purchased materials, storage and transport, prevention of cross contamination, sanitation, pest control and personnel hygiene should be taken into consideration when establishing prerequisite programmes.The first step in developing an ISO 22000 compliant HACCP system is to establish a food safety team multi-disciplinary knowledge and experience. The food safety team are required to carry out a number of preliminary steps in order to carry out the hazard analysis.The first step for the team in implementing an ISO 2000 compliant HACCP system is to describe the product characteristics (Clause 7.3.3) including raw materials, ingredients, product contact materials and end product including its intended use(Clause 7.3.4) . The food safety team will then need to prepare flow diagram and confirm the flow diagram physically on site.ISO 22000 clause 7.3.5.2 the food safety team to describe each process step and the existing control measures applied at each step. This completes the preliminary information required for hazard analysis.
The food safety team now conduct a hazard analysis to identify all the food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur and their acceptable levels (ISO 22000 clause 7.4.2). Clauses 7.4.3 and 7.4.4 prescribe that the food safety team should assess each hazard identified then select control measures to the defined acceptable level. The food safety team need to review each control measure and its effectiveness to decide if the control measure is to be part of the HACCP plan or to be controlled by operational prerequisite programmes.ISO 22000 clause 7.5 requires the food safety team to establish and document operational prerequisite programmes including the food safety hazard to be controlled, the control measure, the monitoring procedures, corrections and corrective actions to be taken if out of control, the responsibilities and authorities and the records to be completed.
The next step of implementing an ISO 22000 compliant system requires the food safety team to establish the HACCP plan.ISO 22000 clause 7.6 uses the same principles of HACCP implementation as CODEX, clause 7.6.2 requires identification of critical control points, clause 7.6.3 requires the food safety team to determine critical limits for critical control point, clause 7.6.4 requires monitoring of critical control points, clause 7.6.5 requires actions when critical limits are exceeded and clause 7.8 requires verification planning. The food safety hazard to be controlled at the critical control point, the control measure, the monitoring procedures, critical limits the records to be used, the corrections and corrective actions to be taken if out of control, and responsibilities and authorities are all required to be included in the HACCP plan. Clause 8.2 describes the requirement for validation of operational PRP and HACCP plan control measures and combinations. ISO 22000 clause 4.2 documentation requirements prescribes the need for additional documentation and record keeping.
Product characteristics, intended use, flow diagrams, process steps and control measures should be updated when the HACCP plan and/or operational prerequisite programmes have been completed as per the requirements of ISO 22000 clause 7.7. The HACCP plan and/or prerequisite programmes documents may need to be amended after updating the preliminary information and this should be decided by the food safety team. When verification results do not indicate conformity ISO 22000 requires the food safety team to review of the conclusions of the hazard analysis, operational PRPs and the HACCP plan as per clause 8.4.2.Finally ISO 22000 clause 8.5.2 prescribes that the food safety team evaluate the food safety management system at planned intervals, based on this review the team must then consider whether it is necessary to review the hazard analysis, operational PRP(s) and the HACCP plan.
