dossier

Quality standards in detail

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These standards, which must be underlined voluntary nature, broaden the range of control and action also on other documentary aspects, such as, for example, checking the conformity of labels, comparing the nutritional tables reported on the label with the analytical results, as well as other aspects related to the specific and legal requirements of the countries in which they are applied.

 

 

 

BRC
The BRC standard – British Retailer Consortium - is born in England.
The new law has been in force since January 2015. BRC Global Standard for Food Safety: Issue 7.
This version arises from the need for alignment with the main issues that have emerged in recent years, such as, specifically, changes in Regulations (allergens, labelling, etc.), increasing risks such as bioterrorism and fraud, consideration of “best practices” in food companies (e.g. X-ray detection), considerations on the increase in retailers' requirements, analysis of the results and feedback from audits carried out against previous versions.

To date, the BRC is one of the most valid tools for the evaluation of private label suppliers, but also a reference for the “best practice” in the food industry on which many operators in the food supply chain have based their supplier evaluation and qualification programs.
The standard requires:

  • the adoption of a HACCP system according to the principles of the Codex Alimentarius;
  • the adoption of a documented quality management system;

control of the production environment, the product, the process and the personnel
The new BRC Issue 7 tries to rebalance the audit process, increasing the amount of time spent by the auditor inside the working areas, and has also allowed to review the wording of the requirements and the layout of the standard, simplifying and removing some ambiguities: for example, there has been a 25% reduction in the number of requirements, eliminating or merging existing ones so that each one is meaningful.
The BRC is divided into 7 chapters:

  1. Management commitment
  2. HACCP
  3. Food Safety and Quality Management System
  4. Plant standards
  5. Product control
  6. Process Control
  7. Staff

The use of unannounced audits by customers as a means of control is becoming increasingly common in some markets, and is conceived as a added value and a more realistic assessment of the company.
The new version provides two options for choosing unannounced audits:

  • Option 1: The entire audit is not announced (as in the previous version)
  • Option 2: The audit is carried out at two different times:
    • Part 1 Unannounced audit – largely based on manufacturing process and good manufacturing practice, carried out in advance of expiry date;
    • Part 2 Announced Audit – largely based on review of document systems, procedures and records, carried out at the normal due date.

The emphasis on Good Manufacturing Practices, together with the “Unannounced Audit” element will increase customer confidence in the audit and the value of the certificate obtained.
BRC to promote unannounced audit system to help companies achieve Grade A+. 

 

 

 

IFS
The IFS – International Featured Standard – is an instrument equivalent to the BRC issued by the most important names in the German, French and Italian GDO.
The currently adopted standard is theIFS Food 6 April 2014 – this is not a new version compared to IFS Food 6, but a consolidated version that allows to include all the requirements and clarifications provided by IFS after the publication of IFS Food 6 in January 2012.

The main Steps to be taken by an organization that wants to become IFS certified are an accurate risk analysis (microbiological, biological, chemical, physical, allergens), as well as an evaluation and control of all its suppliers, both of raw materials and primary packaging and material in contact with food.

The procurement process is fundamental, for which the evaluation and qualification criteria must be clear and are based on:

  • audit your suppliers
  • Certificates of Analysis
  • reliability/complaints
  • risk assessment

Version 6 is expected to be released in January 2012 and includes the following new features:

  • introduction of a new method for calculating the duration of audits based on three criteria: total number of people in the company, number of product purposes/categories, number of process phases
  • introduction of a simplified certification process for producers of seasonal products (i.e. those products that are processed in a particular period of the year) in order to insert, in an existing IFS certificate, an additional seasonal product without having to carry out a new check or, in the case of multi-site companies, in order to reduce the waste of time and money
  • a new evaluation level, equal to "D", providing for the subtraction of the score (penalties of up to minus 20 points are foreseen)
  • greater attention to the requirements related to the quality of the finished product (in addition to food safety) and those relating to packaging
  • development of new criteria for all those products marketed by the company
  • introduction of the concept of “Integrity Program – Quality Assurance” in order to monitor, through preventive actions, the performance of auditors and Certification Bodies as well as those of the verified companies, and to manage, as a corrective action, any complaint addressed to IFS
  • introduction of the concept of “Food defense” with the aim of protecting the food chain from external attacks (bioterrorism, contamination and counterfeiting).
    The standard also defines some requirements called “fundamental” and these are indicated in the checklist as “KO – knock out”: failure to satisfy them will make it impossible to obtain certification.
    The 10 requirements defined as “KO” concern Management Responsibility, Monitoring System for each CCP – critical control points, Personnel Hygiene, Raw Material Specifications, Recipe Compliance, Management of Foreign Bodies, Traceability System, Internal Audits, Product Withdrawal and Recall Procedure and, finally, Corrective Actions.

 

 

 

 


ISO standards are various and were developed by the International Organization for Standardization and were designed to define the international requirements for Quality Management Systems.

 

 

ISO 9001
The ISO 9001 standard is the most popular of the ISO standards and describes the set of organizational structure, procedures, processes and resources necessary to implement quality management in a company.
A September 2015 it was published Version 9001:2015 to facilitate its implementation within organizations, thanks to a language that has been made simpler, for a greater understanding of the requirements.
Il key change of this latest version concerns the “philosophy of risk”: in simple terms, organizations are asked to address risks and opportunities, plan related management actions and set quality objectives.
The major ISO 9001:2015 Advantage has been to align itself with other ISO management system standards, such as ISO 14001 for environmental certification and OHSAS 18001 for health and safety at work.

 

ISO 22000
ISO 22000 is the international ISO system standard specifically for food safety. The latest version was published in September 2005.
Its implementation can be aligned or integrated with existing requirements relating to other quality management systems (such as ISO 9001).
It is intended for application by organizations seeking a food safety management system that goes beyond what is normally required by applicable legislation.
In fact, the HACCP principles are integrated with the PRPs, or Prerequisite Programs.

PRPs are all those basic prerequisites and activities (in reference to food safety), necessary to maintain a hygienic environment along the entire agri-food chain, which is suitable for the production, management and supply of safe finished products and food safe for human consumption.
The categories of companies that can be certified ISO 22000 are those relating to:

  • primary production (animal and plant)
  • transformation
  • Production of feed and animal food
  • storage, distribution and transport
  • collective catering
  • services
  • packaging production
  • production of chemical and biological products for the food industry

 

ISO 22005
ISO 22005 certifies traceability in the food and feed supply chain and is often chosen by those organizations that intend to enhance and communicate the origin of the products and raw materials used.
The advantages in applying this certification are numerous: first of all, ISO 22005 represents a valid and effective tool for guaranteeing the quality of production, helping to increase the trust of its customers and the final consumer.
In addition, it optimizes internal processes, guarantees compliance with EC Regulation 178/02 on food traceability and tracking, facilitating the management of documentation and information also regarding product withdrawal and recall procedures.

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