With the publication of ISO 22000:2005, the standard for Food Safety Management Systems - Requirements for any organization in the food chain, the organizations involved in the processing of food items are set to control not only their own internal processes, but those of their suppliers and customers as well. In order to ensure the food items that you produce meet the required standards and compliance with the regulations, it is necessary to impose certification requirements on your suppliers. If the items you buy in don't come up to standard, what chance have you got of achieving compliance yourself? In the same way, it is your name on the jar, bottle, packet or can and if your customers don't maintain compliance, all of your good efforts could easily be wasted. In an ideal world you would want to control your customers or even their customers. With the publication of ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System Standard, this type of control is not only possible but is inherent within the certification process.

Food safety is related to the presence of food-borne hazards in food at the point of consumption (intake by the consumer). As the introduction of food safety hazards can occur at any stage of the food chain, adequate control throughout the food chain is essential. Thus, food safety is ensured through the combined efforts of all the parties participating in the food chain.

Organizations within the food chain range from feed producers and primary producers through food manufacturers, transport and storage operators and subcontractors to retail and food service outlets (together with inter-related organizations such as producers of equipment, packaging material, cleaning agents, additives and ingredients). Service providers are also included.

Certification against this standard can be offered by several Certification Bodies. EQM Ltd can help your organization prepare for and achieve this certification. In the process, we will put a management system in place that will have its own rewards. Certification for the sake of certification is not necessarily the best use of your time and money. We want you to realize benefits in terms of reduced cost, reduction in errors, greater control of your company, increased profitability and greater customer and staff loyalty.

We refer to ourselves as Consultants only for want of a title. In reality, we are the additional highly trained and dedicated resource that you wish you could have on your payroll permanently. We don't "consult" with you, leaving you with a list of things to do before our next visit. We brainstorm with the process owners and the actual do-ers within your company to capture knowledge, analyze this information for compliance, and develop an action plan. Then, with the approval of senior management, we produce any additional documentation, amend existing documentation and introduce the changes necessary to achieve world-class performance in your organization.