GFSI Certification What Top Management Needs to Know

GFSI What Top Management Needs to Know Learn about GFSI certification schemes Why they are of interest you What the schemes require Choices of GFSI recognized schemes Steps to certification How 22000-tools.com by Vinca, LLC can help

What is GFSI? Global Food Safety Initiative is a global organization GFSI was established in May 2000: To ensure confidence in the delivery of safer food to consumers, while continuing to improve food safety throughout the supply chain. Managed by the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and includes some of the world's leading food safety experts from retailers, manufacturers and food service companies. Ensure confidence and continue to improve food safety Includes some leading food safety experts – retail and manufacturing

The GFSI Board Includes: Cargill Wegmans Coca-Cola Carrefour Nestlé Mondeléz McDonalds Tyson Dole Danone Amazon

Purpose of GFSI Goals: Identify the best food safety management practices across the food supply- chain Encourage the auditing and certification of those practices at food facilities worldwide Provide “Safe Food for Consumers Everywhere.”

Why GFSI? Throughout the food chain risk and liability from food safety incidents is increasing This has resulted in a significant increase in food safety concerns by food processing and retail companies Changes in food safety regulations driven by Food Safety Act are resulting in more attention on suppliers Food processors, food packaging and label manufacturing companies are being required to revise their safety program.

Why GFSI? The findings of a recent GFSI survey of food safety professionals at certified facilities around the world reinforce the many benefits of GFSI: 72%of food safety professionals say GFSI has enhanced food safety practices at their facilities; 61% say GFSI has improved their ability to produce safe food 90% say GFSI has helped to increase employee food safety knowledge, and 68% say GFSI is helping to prepare them for forthcoming regulatory changes.

What is a GFSI Recognized Certification? There is no “GFSI Certification” Companies choose from GFSI recognized schemes.

How does it work? GFSI Sets the requirements for food safety schemes. Packaging Packaging materials Storage and distribution Your customers are demanding a GFSI Recognized Certification

What do the Certification Schemes Require? Food Safety Management Food Safety Policy Food Safety Manual Management Responsibility Management Commitment Management Review Resource Management Documentation Specifications Procedures Internal Audits Corrective Action Control of Non-conformity Product Release Purchasing Supplier Performance Monitoring Traceability Complaint Handling Serious Incident Management Control of Measuring and Monitoring Product Analysis Prerequisite Programs (PRPs) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

What is Required of Top Management? Certification is an annual process requiring the commitment of senior management to creating a corporate “culture” of food safety and continuous improvement within food facilities. Facilities are required to develop a food safety plan tailored to their operations and have the plan audited and verified at each step of the production process by a trained, third-party auditor. These plans identify potential food safety risks, best management practices, employee training requirements and potential capital investments, among other items.

Ways for Top Management to Show Commitment Learn about the requirements of the Food Safety Certification scheme you are going to implement. Dedicate resources to the project (personnel, training etc.) Have leadership position on the implementation steering team

What do the Certification Schemes Require? Food Safety Management Food Safety Policy Food Safety Manual Management Responsibility Management Commitment Management Review Resource Management Documentation Specifications Procedures Internal Audits Corrective Action Control of Non-conformity Product Release Purchasing Supplier Performance Monitoring Traceability Complaint Handling Serious Incident Management Control of Measuring and Monitoring Product Analysis Prerequisite Programs (PRPs) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

What do Prerequisite Programs Require? Workspace, Utilities, Waste, Pest control, Employee hygiene practices, Sanitizing, Cleaning programs Prevention of cross contamination, Equipment design, Equipment cleaning and maintenance, and Recall procedures.

THE STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS SQF SQF MODULE 2 plus the SQF MODULE for your industry FSSC FSSC REQUIREMENT ISO 22000 ISO/TS 22002-2 (food) Or ISO/TS 22002-4( Food Packaging) BRC BRC/IoP GLOBAL STANDARD Prerequisite Programs (PRPs)

HACCP In addition, all of the standards include the requirement to development and implementation of a Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program. There are seven elements of the HACCP: hazard analysis, critical control points, critical control limits, monitoring procedures, corrective action, verification, and record keeping. Examples: Line clearance or copy check Foreign material contamination Chemicals in formulation

Steps to prepare for certification Choose a scheme Research your industry Check customers and competition Learn the requirements Take courses from certification bodies Take online courses Assign team and leader Assign a HACCP Team Leader SQF Practitioner or Food Safety Team Leader Design Process Design a process for each management system element Implement prerequisite programs and HACCP Implement and Train Train employees Implement the procedures

Certification Audits The certification process: Choose an accredited certification body. They will conduct: Document Review On-site Audit Surveillance Audits 3 Year Cycle

Online Training Documents How we can help: Online Training Documents If this sounds overwhelming…don’t worry! We have tools and training to lead you through, step by step. We begin with training to explain the requirements of the standard. We show you how to conduct a Gap Analysis to use as the basis of your Project Plan. Download ready-to-use checklists. Templates are provided to document your system and meet the requirements. They are ready to customize and our tutorials explain how. To-do checklists, meeting agendas, project plan template, and implementation plans keep you on the right track. Click for details & pricing

Cynthia Weber, Vinca LLC About us: Cynthia Weber, Vinca LLC BS. Microbiology Over 25 years in the food industry FSSC 22000 Certification Auditor Food Processing Food Packaging Materials Approximately 100 Certification Audits in the Food Packaging Industry SQF Registered Consultant SQF Trainer Trainer for Food Safety Modernization Act EQIP Certified