TS ISO 22003-2/D1

TS ISO 22003-2/D1 is a draft standard covering requirements for bodies that certify products, processes and services together with an audit of the food safety system (FSS). It supplements ISO/IEC 17065 and focuses on how third-party conformity assessment is to be structured for certification schemes tied to food safety.

Certification scheme, audit, and management system elements

The distinguishing feature of this document is that it looks beyond product conformity alone and also considers the food safety system that supports it. In this context, “management system elements” refer to the processes by which an organization plans, implements, monitors and improves food safety controls. That makes the document different from certification approaches based only on testing or inspection.

In general technical terms, food safety certification typically involves evaluating raw materials, processes, hygiene practices, traceability, control measures and evidence of conformity as a connected whole. Internationally accepted principles such as the CODEX General Principles of Food Hygiene provide a common framework for managing food-chain risks. This standard addresses the rules for certification bodies operating schemes that include those principles together with management system elements.

What is in scope, and what is excluded

• Schemes based on ISO/IEC 17065 that combine food safety principles with management system elements.
• Certification of products, processes and services supported by an audit of an FSS.
• Certification based solely on product testing is outside scope.
• Certification based solely on inspection is outside scope.
• Schemes that do not include both food safety principles and management system elements are outside scope.

The certification result does not prove that an organization’s products are automatically safe or fit for use. Rather, it provides a conformity assessment showing that the organization addresses applicable statutory and regulatory food-safety requirements through its food safety system. That distinction matters for customers and other stakeholders who need confidence in how a supplier has been certified.

Overall, TS ISO 22003-2/D1 provides a technical framework for assessing certification bodies in food safety certification, with an emphasis on the reliability and consistency of the certification process rather than a direct claim about product safety.