ISO 22000
It is an international standard that determines the requirements for safety management systems to be followed by any company involved in the food industry. This is the first international standard that establishes the safety measures to be followed by a company in the food production chain, from the handling of food to its transport, regardless of whether they are companies in the primary sector, transporters, wholesalers, or retailers.
Objectives:
- To ensure consumer protection and strengthen consumer confidence.
- Strengthening food security.
- Encourage cooperation between industries and governments.
- Optimize costs along the food supply chain.
Advantages:
- Integration of a Quality Management System and a Food Safety Management System into the organization’s Management System.
- Increased food safety control, which means a reduction of the dangers that may arise.
- Improved communication between the parties involved in the supply chain.
- Improved communication and greater transparency among the parties involved.
- It requires companies to comply with the minimum requirements established by law.
- It gives some recognition to the company that has this certificate, as it is the only common standard in relation to food safety.
- It is applicable to small and medium-sized companies. It is possible to implement it to the extent and proportion of the needs they may have.
IFS (International Food Standard)
It is a safety system specifically designed for the food industry that certifies the safety and quality of processed food products and production processes.
The IFS arose from the need detected by associations of distributors in Germany, France, and Italy to have a common quality and food safety standard in the face of new legal requirements and globalization in the distribution of products in this sector.
The fact that manufacturers and packers of food products have this standard allows them to accredit the supply of safe food products in accordance with the specifications of the legislation in force.
Advantages:
- Implementation of standardized requirements.
- Possibility of exporting food products to countries that accredit certification.
- Guarantees critical aspects of food safety processes such as compliance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) or hygiene practices.
- Evidence of compliance with food safety regulations.
- Reduces contamination risks in the production stages and facilitates their control.
- It provides a tool for companies to implement continuous improvement processes.
- Improved customer satisfaction.
- Contributes to a better corporate image of the company.
- Reduces the receipt of external audits.
- Personnel receives better information on the implementation of practices in food safety processes.
BRC (British Retail Consortium)
The BRC is one of the leading certificates in Food Safety and is currently the most widely applied in implementing practices in food safety processes.
This protocol, to be complied with by companies supplying branded products to retailers in the United Kingdom, is internationally recognized and aims to enhance the quality, legality, and safety of the food produced. The BRC (British Retail Consortium) standard is a food safety system developed by the British retail distribution.
It arose from the need to develop uniform food quality and safety standards. Among the most important factors are consumer demands, the increasing responsibility of distributors, the increase in legal requirements, and the globalization of product supply.
It is a specific standard for the food industry, being only applicable to companies that manufacture or pack food products. In other words, the BRC standard can only be applied when a product is processed or when there is a risk of product contamination during the primary packaging process.
For companies that only perform transportation, storage, and distribution activities, the Global Standard for Storage and Distribution has been developed, which is more focused on these other types of activities.
The BRC standard has been developed to provide retailers with a quality management tool, specially oriented to the fulfillment of their legal and consumer protection obligations.
Benefits:
- It establishes a common standard and assessment system carried out by accredited certification bodies.
- Reduces the number of audits supported by distribution companies and other customers, who recognize the certification audit as their own.
- It is clear proof of compliance with food safety legislation.
- Competitive differentiation
- Ensures greater comparability and transparency throughout the supply chain.
- It allows for reconciling food safety and quality control.
- It facilitates the control of all production stages, reducing contamination hazards to a minimum and ensuring the safety of produced and/or packaged foods.
- It allows access to new markets thanks to its increased quality and compliance with the requirements of many of the major distributors.
- Easily integrated with other food safety standards (IFS/BRC/ISO 22000).
Global GAP
GLOBALGAP establishes voluntary standards through which agricultural products can be certified worldwide.
The growing concern for food safety and environmental protection makes it essential to ensure compliance with good practices in this sector.
The protocol is based on Food Safety criteria. It contemplates production techniques with the objective of controlled use of phytosanitary products to minimize the impact of residues on food, man, and his environment.
Objectives:
- Provide confidence to consumers about food safety, environmental, and labor standards.
- For this purpose, it develops a farm-level standard, which covers the entire production process of the certified product, from the beginning (from sowing or planting) and all subsequent farming activities, up to the moment the product is removed from the farm.
Benefits:
- It provides confidence to consumers.
- Ensures access to markets.
- Reduces third party inspections performed by distribution.
- More efficient and dynamic control of food safety risks.
- Facilitates compliance with reference legislation
- Facilitates effective communication with all stakeholders
- Time and cost savings in integrated audits with BRC, IFS, GRASP, ALBERT HEIJN, TESCO NURTURE, LEAF MARQUE.
Organic Production
The organic certification guarantees that the products have been produced or processed according to organic farming standards and that they have been controlled throughout their production process, preparation, packaging, and marketing.
All organic operators are inspected at least once a year.
The control covers any stage, from the primary production of an organic product to its storage, processing, transport, sale, and supply to the final consumer and, where appropriate, labeling, advertising, import, export, and subcontracting activities.
Under current organic production regulations:
ARE CERTIFIABLE
- Live or unprocessed agricultural products, including seeds and other plants propagating material.
- Processed agricultural products intended for human consumption.
- Feedstuffs.
- Certain products closely linked to agriculture (yeasts intended for human or animal consumption, yerba mate, sweet corn, vine leaves, palm hearts, hop shoots, and other similar edible parts of plants and products obtained therefrom, sea salt and other salts for food and animal feed, silk cocoons suitable for reeling, natural gums and resins, beeswax, essential oils, natural cork stoppers, not agglomerated and without binding substances, cotton not carded or combed, wool not carded or combed, raw hides and skins and untreated skins, traditional vegetable preparations based on plants; when produced, prepared, labeled, distributed, marketed, imported into or exported from the Union, or intended to be so produced, prepared, labeled, distributed, marketed, imported into or exported from the Union.
Denomination of Origin
The concept of appellation of origin arose in Spain to distinguish the quality of a series of products through a specific label.
In order to thoroughly assess the quality level of a product, the regulatory board evaluates not only the raw material but also the elaboration and conservation process involved in the final result.
The regulation states that the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is “a name that identifies a product originating in a particular place or region, whose quality or characteristics are essentially or exclusively due to a particular geographical environment, with the natural and human factors inherent to it and whose production stages take place in the same defined geographical area”.
Thus, in addition to quality, factors such as the uniqueness and originality of a product contribute to a region achieving a protected designation of origin.
Types:
- Protected Designation of Origin: Here we include products whose quality is due to a specific geographical location, also influenced by natural and human factors. Production, processing, and preparation must also take place in the same region for this type of label to be awarded.
- Protected Geographical Indication: It differs from the Protected Designation of Origin in that, in this case, it is not necessary for the entire production process to take place in the same territory. For the quality of a product to be praised by this seal, production, processing, or transformation must take place in the same region. In other words, we need one of the processes to be linked to the territory, but not necessarily all of them.
- Traditional Specialty Guaranteed: This is a seal that serves to underline the value of tradition in the production processes of a product. Products made according to a traditional recipe and which have used the same ingredients for at least 30 years are eligible for this label. Currently, only oil cake, pellets, certified farm milk, and cured Serrano ham based on specific characteristics have this title.
Advantages:
- Open the doors to the international market.
- To legally protect producers in the event that this production will be initiated in other geographical areas.