Exploring Food Safety Culture in FSSC 22000 Version 6

While Food Safety Culture in some regions/countries is making its way into a regulatory requirement (e.g. European Union and Dubai) or at least strong recommendation, this explicit requirement adds a tangible dimension that resonates across the entire business spectrum.

Welcome to the third blog of our comprehensive series focusing on the latest iteration of FSSC 22000 – Version 6. As committed food safety professionals, you’re in for a treat as we delve into the intricate world of Food Safety Culture (FSC) within the context of FSSC 22000 Version 6. This series will break down key aspects, changes, and insights regarding this version, providing you with the knowledge you need to thrive in the realm of food safety. Let’s kick off by exploring the noteworthy addition – Requirement 2.5.8 for Food Safety and Quality Culture.

Understanding the Evolution of Food Safety Culture: While the notion of Food Safety Culture was embedded in FSSC 22000 Version 5, its elements were subtly woven into various ISO 22000 clauses without explicit mention. However, driven by extensive dialogues with industry stakeholders and insightful surveys, FSSC has taken a significant stride by explicitly introducing this requirement in Version 6.

A. One of the primary advantages of this newly integrated requirement lies in its provision of an unequivocal requirement for food safety professionals to communicate with top management. While Food Safety Culture in some regions/countries is making its way into a regulatory requirement (e.g. European Union and Dubai) or at least strong recommendation, this explicit requirement adds a tangible dimension that resonates across the entire business spectrum. This crystallizes the significance of the subject matter, ensuring a cohesive understanding throughout the organization.

B. The crux of this new requirement centers around the imperative to address, at a minimum, communication, training, employee feedback and engagement, and performance measurement. Notably, senior management assumes the pivotal role of establishing food safety and quality culture objectives. These objectives should be accompanied by a comprehensive plan complete with well-defined targets and realistic timelines. This strategic approach not only underscores commitment but also streamlines the journey towards fostering a robust Food Safety Culture.

C. One particularly salient advantage, particularly for auditors, is the elucidation it provides regarding the placement of nonconformities related to food safety culture. With the new requirement serving as a compass, auditors can now precisely align their assessments and evaluations, thus ensuring a thorough and holistic appraisal of an organization’s adherence to food safety culture standards.

As we embark on this enlightening journey through the landscape of FSSC 22000 Version 6, we invite you to stay tuned for upcoming installments in this blog series. To dive even deeper into the exchange of knowledge and insights, we encourage you to become a part of our Sharing Knowledge Group (SKG). Simply drop us an email below and my best content will magically appear in you inbox.

PS: This is the third blog on the 10 most important changes brought by FSSC 22000 version 6. Read the others and start working on the transition.

Radionuclides: Radioactive isotopes of elements (radionuclides) are naturally present in the environment, and that includes our bodies and our food and water. We are exposed to radiation (also known as background radiation) from these radionuclides on a daily basis. Radiation comes from space (i.e., cosmic rays) as well as from naturally-occurring radioactive materials (radionuclides) found in the soil, water and air. Radioactivity can be detected in food and water and the concentration of naturally-occurring radionuclides varies depending on several factors such as local geology, climate and agricultural practices.

https://www.fao.org/documents/card/es/c/b809f8d5-ceba-4c44-9ff5-c2f8ab601666/

Radionuclides Rule: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates radionuclides in drinking water to protect public health. Radionuclides in water at amounts greater than the drinking water standards may cause health problems. On December 7, 2000, EPA published the Radionuclides Final Rule. The new rule revised the radionuclides regulation, which had been in effect since 1977. The revisions set new monitoring requirements for community water systems (CWS). This ensured customers receive water meeting maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for radionuclides in drinking water. https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/radionuclides-rule
The United States Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Draft-Guidance-for-Industry–Hazard-Analysis-and-Risk-Based-Preventive-Controls-for-Human-Food—Potential-Hazards-Associated-with-the-Manufacturing–Processing–Packing–and-Holding-of-Human-Food-%28Chapter-3%29-Download.pdf

This article was written by:

Nuno F. Soares

Contributing Editor: Jocelyn C. Lee, Food Safety Consultant

Disclaimer: The information contained on this article is based on research done in the last months and the authors personal experience and opinion. It is not intended to represent the view of any organization they work for or collaborate with. The authors will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information provided in the article.

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