Robert Rogers

Which Food Safety Standard Is for You?

Robert Rogers, Senior Advisor for Food Safety and Regulation 

METTLER TOLEDO Product Inspection

  

Food safety issues are top of mind for food producers, and those concerns will only grow in the coming years, resulting in food producers taking greater ownership of food safety, even tighter controls being established to safeguard the food supply chain and traceability and integrated management programs becoming an essential part of food production.

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a retailer / manufacturer non-profit foundation, approves food safety certification standards that are accepted globally as providing reliable written assurance that a food production process or a food product conforms with the requirements of that standard.

FSMA does not require certification to any of these GFSI-recognized programs, but meeting the recordkeeping and documentation requirements of a standard will be a great help to you in meeting the FDA documentation requirements.

Being certified according to a GFSI-accepted standard such as IFS, SQF, FSSC 22000 or BRC will demonstrate your commitment as a producer to focus on food product safety. While the different certifications deal with similar food safety concerns, choosing the right one based on your needs and customer preference is important, even as GFSI works to harmonize the approved standards and provide a “once certified, accepted everywhere” approach.

Meeting the requirements of one of these standards will provide a framework for continually improving your production quality processes and will protect and enhance your brand’s reputation and ensure future profitability in today’s competitive global market.

As you evaluate which standard to choose for your certification, consider these facts:

The individual standards are beginning to focus on specific food sectors and processes. For example, the SQF program has separate modules focused on Seafood Processing, Dairy Food Processing and Egg Processing, among others. The BRC program also offers similar but different product categories, as well as specific standards for Packaging and Packaging Materials as well as Storage and Distribution. You can choose a standard that closely meets your needs.

To explore the details about each of these standards: how it certifies companies, and what categories it focuses on, consult the individual standards’ web sites and the FDA web site. You can also visit also educational WebEx sites online and attend seminars such as the Mettler Toledo-sponsored Food Safety Exchange where representatives of the standards can answer specific questions and offer guidance.