All food producers have the responsibility to manage the safety of their products and the well-being of their consumers. Unsafe food is undesirable, and can sometimes have serious consequences. This food safety management standards can assist organisations in managing food safety hazards in terms of identifying and putting procedures in place to control and reduce them. Looking at the large number of parties involved in the food production, preparation and supply chains, this standard is applicable to all types of producers, and intends to provide and assurance to organisations and consumers in the global food supply chain, especially in building trust in cross-border produce and products.
This food safety management systems (FSMS) standard facilitates an organisation to:
Food safety is related to the presence of food safety hazards at the time of consumption (by the consumer). The hazards can happen at any stage of the food chain thus necessary controls throughout the food chain is critical. This standard promotes the combined efforts of all the parties in the food chain, with some generally recognised key elements of interactive communication, system management, prerequisite programmes, and hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) principles.
The standard adopts the Process approach which involves the systematic definition and management of processes, and their interactions, to achieve the intended results in accordance with the food safety policy and strategic direction of the organization. Management of the processes and the system as a whole is achieved using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, with an overall focus on risk-based thinking aimed at taking advantage of opportunities and preventing undesirable results. It also incorporates the management principles of customer focus, leadership, people and stakeholder engagement, improvement, and evidence-based decision making.
The standard is generic in nature and can be applicable to all organisations involved in the food chain – small or large. These organisations can be directly or indirectly involved, and can include, but are not limited to, feed producers, animal food producers, harvesters of wild plants and animals, farmers, producers of ingredients, food manufacturers, retailers, and food services providers, catering services, cleaning and sanitation services, transportation, storage and distribution services, suppliers of equipment, cleaning and disinfectants, packaging materials and other food contact materials.
This standard may also benefit small and/or less developed organisations, such as small farms, small packers-distributors, small retail or food service outlet through implementation of internationally-recognised processes in their food safety management operations.