Revised ISO/TS 22003 to boost FSMS certification

The diligent process of implementing a food safety management system automatically improves food safety and quality performance and certification to a food safety management system standard such as ISO 22000 can help reassure customers that an organization has implemented a system for the management of food safety in line with its policy. But this only works if we can have confidence in the certification.

This is where ISO/TS 22003 can play a critical role, according to Jacob Faergemand, Co-Convenor of the group of experts who developed the document. The technical specification defines rules on, for example, auditor competencies and audit duration that CBs have to implement.

In the latest edition of ISO/TS 22003, the most important change – and one to which the CB will need to adapt – is the shift from a “qualification-based approach” to a full “competence-based approach” for the definition of auditor competence requirements.

To support the drive for improvement ISO have published a new handbook compiling two key standards (ISO/TS 22003 and ISO/IEC 17021) thus providing a single source of information for Certification Bodies certifying food safety management systems.

The new handbook combines:

• ISO/TS 22003, which outlines requirements for bodies issuing certifications to ISO 22000 on food safety management systems (FSMS)
• ISO/IEC 17021, which sets generic requirements for bodies carrying out audits

Further information can be found at:
http://www.iso.org/i...m?refid=Ref1852

December 2013 Interview with Jacob Faergemand
http://www.iso.org/i...m?refid=Ref1807