FSSC 22000 Additional requirements - specification for services

Hi,


Under FSSC 22000 additional requirements, the requirements for specifications for services as below.

The organization in the food chain shall ensure that all services (including utilities, transport and maintenance) which are provided and may have an impact on food safety:

• shall have specified requirements
• shall be described in documents to the extent needed to conduct hazard analysis
• shall be managed in conformance with the requirements of technical specification for sector PRPs.

I have issue to comply this requirements during stage 1 audit. The auditor commended that we do not evaluate service performance, such as pest control contract maintenance, only evaluate ingredient supplier.

Please advise how to close this findings before stage 2 audit? How to document the evaluation done?

Regards,
Eray

Hi Eray,

Services generally come under prerequisite programmes (PRPs) which are required to be monitored.

ISO 22002 6 Utilities — air, water, energy:
Utilities’ quality shall be monitored to minimize product contamination risk..

ISO 22000 7.2.3:
Verification of PRP(s) shall be planned (see 7.8) and PRP(s) shall be modified as necessary (see 7.7).
Records of verifications and modifications shall be maintained.

PRP monitoring is a verification activity that can be carried out by analysis in the case of services like water or for example by auditing of standards/records in the case of pest control. From the results of the you can evaluate if your PRP's are in control.

Regards,

Tony

Hi, Tony

I am agree with you on the verification of PRP. However, in my case, the auditor mentioned how we assess the service performance provided by the service provider.

Example: training instructor, we evaluate his/her presentation and training modules/contents, and documented in training evaluation form.

For pest control, we review the treatment service report and pest trending analysis report. Do we satisfy with their service? We do not evaluate the pest control service and document this evaluation.

Regards,

Eray

Hi

I would recommend to note that the services are not limited only the external services, but also the internal services, e.g. we can have a chance to let our internal staff to provide or take care of internal pest control as well.

FSSC additional requirement requires to specification of service shall be made and comply with ISO/TS 22002-1 clause 9 Management of purchased materials which includes the "selection and management of suppliers".

Quoted:
There shall be a defined process for the selection, approval and monitoring of suppliers. The process used
shall be justified by hazard assessment, including the potential risk to the final product, and shall include:
a) assessment of the supplier’s ability to meet quality and food safety expectations, requirements and
specifications;
b) description of how suppliers are assessed.

We can set any criteria to evaluate the internal and external service providers' performances, based on the food safety impacted.

Pest control service: pest problem found, level of service performance, reporting on time etc.
Laundry service: cleanliness (from sampling swab test result) etc.
cleaning service: cleanliness (from sampling swab test result or pre-op inspection) etc.

NY.

the auditor mentioned how we assess the service performance provided by the service provider.

Example: training instructor, we evaluate his/her presentation and training modules/contents, and documented in training evaluation form.

For pest control, we review the treatment service report and pest trending analysis report. Do we satisfy with their service? We do not evaluate the pest control service and document this evaluation.

Regards,
Eray

Have you considered IF the intended objectives to be achieved from your respective PRPs would invariably determine how you would verify the effectiveness and efficiency of your PRP data implementation support and as part of your (system / individual) verification planning.

Hi, Tony

I am agree with you on the verification of PRP. However, in my case, the auditor mentioned how we assess the service performance provided by the service provider.

Example: training instructor, we evaluate his/her presentation and training modules/contents, and documented in training evaluation form.

For pest control, we review the treatment service report and pest trending analysis report. Do we satisfy with their service? We do not evaluate the pest control service and document this evaluation.

Regards,

Eray

Dear Eray,

Sorry but i fail to understand what you are saying.

Surely the "service performance" is simply evaluated on the results; ie the satisfactory achievance of an appropriate (PRP) objective. I guess I am basically agreeing with Tony. If you do not monitor / evaluate / document the degree of "achievance" (or respond to a non-achievance) then I can understand an auditorial criticism may occur.

Or are you suggesting the auditor wishes you to further comment, for example, on the cleanliness of the uniform worn by the pest controller, or your satisfaction with the ease of implementation of the actual procedure used ? Such factors IMO are the reason for employing an "approved" pest control service.

Perhaps you might inform what specific paragraph in the Standard(s) yr auditor considered to be insufficiently covered ?

Rgds / Charles.C

Hi, Charles


Thanks for your advice.

The auditor made comments under Vendor Assurance Program, under areas of concerns as there is no NC in initial audit stage 1. I believe that the auditor would like us to assess the performance of service provider as how we assess ingredient supplier in terms of cost, food safety compliance, material quality and service quality. Perhaps I should clarify with the auditor.


Regards,

Eray

Hi, Charles


Thanks for your advice.

The auditor made comments under Vendor Assurance Program, under areas of concerns as there is no NC in initial audit stage 1. I believe that the auditor would like us to assess the performance of service provider as how we assess ingredient supplier in terms of cost, food safety compliance, material quality and service quality. Perhaps I should clarify with the auditor.
Regards,
Eray

Dear Eray,

If you don't know already, I suggest you ask the auditor which activity / para. of the standard(s) is involved.

Yr comments (other than food safety) sound more like iso9001.

The only direct reference to assessing "supplier performance" i could see in iso22000 or PAS220 standards referred to purchased materials.

Rgds / Charles.C

Hi Eray, how did this turn out for you? I have just had the same issue with my FSSC 22000 auditor and I am under the impression that she was auditing us against the IFS standard instead of the FSSC 22000. Charles C. reply above was clear but did your auditor accept that?

 

Looking forward to receiving your feedback!

 

All the best,

Eva

How does the requirement apply to utilities such as electrical service that impact food safety?

 

Phil