FOOD SAFETY

“PAS 220 provides a common set of pre-requisite programs that can be used by any food manufacturer who wishes to establish an ISO 22000 certified food safety management system,” comments Steve Mould, Technical Author of PAS 220 and Worldwide Quality Chain Management Systems Program Manager at Kraft Foods. “What sets this standard apart from others is the wide consultation and public reviews that were conducted by BSI during its development. This is a standard that the industry has created by working together.”

PAS 220 details the PRPs used by food and beverage manufacturers and is intended to be used in conjunction with ISO 22000. Its focus is to ensure that processes are in place to minimize, mitigate or eliminate potential food safety hazards from affecting the products, including product contamination, food safety hazard levels and the product processing environment.

PAS 220 addresses concerns that existed with ISO 22000 and is designed, in combination with ISO 22000, to bridge the gap between ISO 22000 and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) requirements. GFSI was launched in 2000 with the mission: 'Continuous improvement in food safety management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers.'

Covering important aspects of food safety which can be often overlooked in the food manufacturing sector such as warehouse requirements, rework, food defense, biovigilance and bioterrorism, the publication of PAS 220 will substantially strengthen ISO 22000 and enhance initiatives to harmonize global food safety standards.