FIVE FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS AND HOW THEY OPERATE

ecurrency (37)in #dmania • 7 years ago

INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROTECTION CONVENTION (IPPC)
IPPC came into existence in 1952. The IPPC is the international organisation responsible for setting standards to protect plant health. The Convention extends beyond the protection of cultivated plants to the protection of natural flora and plant products. It also takes into consideration both direct and indirect damage by pests, so it includes weeds.While the IPPC's primary focus is on plants and plant products, the Convention also covers research materials, biological control organisms, germplasm banks, containment facilities, food aid, emergency aid and anything else that can act as a vector for the spread of plant pests – for example, containers, packaging materials, soil, vehicles, vessels and machinery.
The IPPC was created by member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The IPPC places emphasis on three core areas: international standard setting, information exchange and capacity development for the implementation of the IPPC and associated international phytosanitary standards.
The IPPC works together with two international organizations: the OIE for animal health and Codex Alimentarius for food safety.
The IPPC has developed over 30 International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), and there are many more in various stages of development.
In recent years the Commission of Phytosanitary Measures of the IPPC has developed a strategic framework with the objectives of:
• Protecting sustainable agriculture and enhancing global food security through the prevention of pest spread;
• Protecting the environment, forests and biodiversity from plant pests;
• Facilitating economic and trade development through the promotion of harmonized scientifically based phytosanitary measures, and:
• Developing phytosanitary capacity for members to accomplish the preceding three objectives.
By focusing the Convention's efforts on these objectives, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures of the IPPC intends to:
• Protect farmers from economically devastating pest and disease outbreaks.
• Protect the environment from the loss of species diversity.
• Protect ecosystems from the loss of viability and function as a result of pest invasions.
• Protect industries and consumers from the costs of pest control or eradication.
• Facilitate trade through International Standards that regulate the safe movements of plants and plant products.
• Protect livelihoods and food security by preventing the entry and spread of new pests of plants into a country.
THE WORLD ORAGNISATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH (OIE)
The World Organization for Animal Health (previously known as the International Office of Epizootics, from which the term OIE is derived) is the intergovernmental organization responsible for improving animal health worldwide. OIE Member countries work to provide safe food of animal origin through science-based risk analysis. Since it was created, the OIE has served as the main international reference organization for animal health and has become the leading international organization for animal welfare.
The World Organization for Animal Health works to ensure the transparent status of global animal diseases. Each Member country is responsible for reporting the animal diseases that it detects on its territory. The OIE shares this information with other countries so they can take necessary actions to protect themselves. This information also includes diseases transmissible to humans and the intentional introduction of pathogens.
Another objective of the OIE is to collect, analyse, and disseminate the latest scientific information on animal-disease control. This information is then made available to the Member countries to help them to improve methods used to control and eradicate these diseases. Animal-disease guidelines are prepared by a network of approximately 200 OIE Collaborating Centres and Reference Laboratories across the world. Scientific information is also circulated through publications and periodicals published by the OIE.
The OIE encourages international harmony by providing technical support to Member countries that request assistance with animal-disease control and eradication operations, including diseases transmissible to humans. The health standards published by the OIE for international trade in animals and animal products help safeguard world trade. The OIE develops standards that Member countries can use to protect themselves from the introduction of diseases and pathogens, without creating unjustified sanitary barriers.
Foodborne diseases (FBD) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in humans worldwide. Animals play an important role in FBD and can be a source of pathogens in food products of animal origin (e.g. non-typhoidal salmonellosis) and also through faecal contamination of plant derived food and water. Many of the pathogens responsible for FBD do not normally cause disease in animals. To minimise the risk of FBD, control measures should be considered at both the pre-harvest level and subsequent stages of the production to consumption chain, i.e. ‘from farm to fork’.
The OIE Animal Production Food Safety (APFS) Working Group functions as a steering committee for the OIE’s work programme on standards to reduce food-borne risks to human health due to hazard arising during the animal production phase of the food chain.
GLOBAL FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE (GFSI)
The Global Food Safety Initiative is a business-driven initiative for the continuous improvement of food safety management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers worldwide. GFSI provides a platform for collaboration between some of the world’s leading food safety experts from retailer, manufacturer and food service companies, service providers associated with the food supply chain, international organizations, academia and government.
The initiative was launched in 2000 following a number of food safety crises when consumer confidence was at an all-time low. Since then, experts from all over the world have been collaborating in numerous Technical Working Groups to tackle current food safety issues defined by GFSI stakeholders.
Key activities within GFSI include the definition of food safety requirements for food safety schemes through a benchmarking process. This process is thought to lead to recognition of existing food safety schemes and enhances confidence, acceptance and implementation of third party certification along the entire food supply chain.
GFSI’s current focus is on extending the requirements to cover all scopes of the global food supply chain from farm to fork. Other important current activities include the development of a capacity building programme for small and/or less developed businesses to facilitate their access to local markets and a continuous focus on food safety auditor competence to bring industry experts in collaboration with key stakeholders to a common consensus on the skills, knowledge and attributes that a competent auditor should possess.
The GFSI objectives are to:
• Reduce food safety risks by delivering equivalence and convergence between effective food safety management systems
• Manage cost in the global food system by eliminating redundancy and improving operational efficiency
• Develop competencies and capacity building in food safety to create consistent and effective global food systems
• Provide a unique international stakeholder platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and networking
The GFSI guidance document was developed for guidance and to set commonly agreed criteria as a framework to which food-safety-related schemes can be benchmarked. Currently there are four food safety standards formally benchmarked to GFSI. They are the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety, the International Food Standard (IFS), the (Dutch) National Board of Experts Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (NBE HACCP) Option B, and the Safe Quality Food (SQF) 2000 Code.
FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM CERTIFICATION (FSSC) 22000
FSSC 22000 is a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) Certification Scheme. FSSC 22000 certification is granted when you have implemented FSSC 22000 in your company and a third-party auditor has audited your system to verify that you comply with the requirements of the FSSC 22000 standard.
The FSSC 22000 System was designed to provide companies in the food industry with an ISO-based food safety management system certification that is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Recognition by GFSI provides worldwide recognition and acceptance by food manufacturers and retailers. FSSC 22000 defines requirements for integrated processes that work together to control and minimize food safety hazards. FSSC 22000 is a fast growing certification scheme and in April of 2017 issued their 15,000th certificate.
Once a facility implements processes that address all the requirements of FSSC 22000, they can be certified to FSSC 22000. The certification program is managed by the Foundation for Food Safety Certification
The FSSC 22000 system uses a management systems approach to food safety, using ISO 22000 for the management system requirements and ISO Technical Standards (for prerequisite program requirements). The food safety management system integrates nicely with other management systems such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
FSSC 22000 Prerequisite Program Requirements (PRP)
Prerequisite programs are programs and practices put in place to address the role the production environment plays in producing safe food products.
FSSC 22000 requires that the organization establishes PRP programs to control the likelihood of introducing contamination through the work environment. There are different PRP requirements depending on your industry:
• ISO/TS 22002-1: Food Processing
• ISO/TS 22002-3: Farming
• ISO/TS 22002-4 Food Packaging Manufacturing
NATIONAL SANITATION FOUNDATION (NSF) INTERNATIONAL
NSF International was founded in 1944 from the University of Michigan's School of Public Health to standardise the sanitation and food safety requirements. NSF International is an accredited, independent third-party certification body that tests and certifies products to verify they meet these public health and safety standards. Products that meet these standards bear the NSF mark.
The NSF Food Safety Division provides accredited services across all supply chain sectors, from agriculture, produce, processing, distribution and dairy, to seafood, retail and restaurants. Services include Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification (SQF, BRC, GLOBALG.A.P., FSSC, IFS, Aquaculture Certification Council (ACC)); Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification; auditing, consulting and technical services; HACCP validation and inspection; and organic and gluten-free certification through QAI (Quality Assurance International). NSF Food Safety also certifies foodservice equipment, non-food compounds and bottled water/beverages. Many food codes in the U.S. require food equipment used in commercial establishments that is certified to NSF commercial food equipment standards.
The NSF Water Division certifies products that come into contact with drinking water, such as plumbing components, water treatment chemicals and drinking water filters, as well as pool and spa equipment. NSF led the development of American National Standards for all materials and products that treat or come in contact with drinking water to help protect public health and the environment and minimize adverse health effects. In 1990, the U.S. EPA replaced its own drinking water product advisory program with these NSF standards. Today, most plumbing codes require certification to NSF standards for pipes and plumbing components in commercial and residential buildings. Recently introduced programs include HACCP for Building Water Systems.
The NSF Health Sciences Division offers training and education, consulting, auditing, good manufacturing practice (GMP) and good laboratory practice (GLP) testing, certification, R&D and regulatory guidance for the pharmaceutical, medical device and dietary supplement industries throughout the product lifecycle. It also supplies pharmaceutical secondary reference standards, traceable to United States Pharmacopeia and European Pharmacopoeia standards. NSF wrote the only accredited American National Standard (NSF/ANSI 173) that verifies the health and safety of dietary supplements and also tests and certifies products to this standard. Additionally, NSF offers ISO 13485 registration for medical devices and CE marking.
The NSF Consumer Products Division tests and certifies consumer products and appliances used in and around the home including home appliances, cookware, bakeware, small kitchen electronics, bottled water and beverages, nutritional and dietary supplements, private label goods and personal care products.
NSF Sustainability provides standards development, certification and claims validation for sustainably produced commercial and consumer products such as personal care products, carpet, flooring, fabrics and other building materials; and process verification services such as greenhouse gas verification, environmental foot printing, and environmental management systems certifications.
NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR) provides management systems certifications to internationally accepted standards for quality assurance and environmental protection for the automotive, aerospace, medical and manufacturing industries (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 14001, AS9100, etc.).
NSF Education and Training provides training and education for professionals in the food safety,water, health sciences, consumer product and management systems certification industries.