Accreditation Enables NSF-ISR to Register Food Safety Management Systems Worldwide

Food Safety Throughout the Supply ChainNSF-ISR recently announced that is among the first certification bodies in North America to earn accreditation from the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board to Conduct Food Safety Management Systems Registrations (ISO 22000).

Maintaining food safety throughout the entire global supply chain has become a main priority for food companies, including crop producers, food manufacturers and processors, and producers of equipment and packaging materials. Food companies are demanding that quality assurance standards and systems be in place to enhance their overall safety and quality efforts, and implementing ISO 22000 is an effective way to demonstrate this commitment.

ISO 22000 was created by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) to ensure proper and universally-accepted food safety procedures are being followed throughout the supply chain. ISO 22000 shares the same foundation with the universally-accepted Quality Management Standard ISO 9001 but has a greater focus on food safety management and incorporates Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles.

Earning accreditation for ISO 22000 provides NSF-ISR with more credibility in the worldwide food market and complements the existing portfolio of food safety management services provided by NSF-ISR's parent company, NSF International, including certifications to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)*-benchmarked standards such as Safe Quality Food (SQF) and British Retail Consortium (BRC).

“NSF International has sixty-five years of experience in food safety inspection, certification, and auditing that provides an advance level of competence and has proven invaluable to companies in the food industry,” said Tom Chestnut, NSF International Vice President of Supply Chain Food Safety and Quality. “This accreditation is a natural evolution of our extensive food safety credentials. The food industry relies on NSF International to provide credible food safety management system registrations to companies throughout the world.”

In order to earn accreditation, NSF International had to follow a rigorous application and auditing process that included a formal review of processes and procedures, auditor qualifications and a witness audit. The witness audit verified that NSF International auditors are highly competent and can perform the audits to the standard’s requirements. To maintain accreditation, NSF International will undergo an annual office and witness audit. ANAB is a leader in accreditation processes that build confidence and value for stakeholders worldwide.

“NSF International auditors are among the most knowledgeable in the industry,” said Christian Lupo, General Manager of NSF International subsidiary, NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR). “They are assigned based on their area of expertise. Companies are always assigned an auditor that has the experience and knowledge necessary to provide the best support for a successful ISO 22000 registration.”

More information on ISO 22000 registration, please visit http://www.nsf.org/business/iso_22000/index.asp?program=ISO22000.

* The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is coordinated by The Consumer Goods Forum, launched May 2000.