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What is the meaning of Global Food Safety Initiative?
As the world’s leading consumer goods companies, we are collaborating across borders and barriers to help ensure safe food for everyone. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI; the Coalition) is a Coalition of Action from The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), bringing together 44 retailers and manufacturers from across the CGF membership and an extended food safety community to oversee food safety standards for businesses and help provide access to safe food for people everywhere.
Around the world, an estimated 600 million people – almost 1 in 10 – fall ill after eating contaminated food each year and concerns over food safety have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To tackle this, Coalition members are addressing challenges facing food safety systems in their supply chains and the markets they operate in, and are helping to raise the food safety bar globally.
Everyone has the right to access safe, nutritious and nourishing food which is why GFSI’s work is critical to every community across the globe. As one of the world’s largest networks to help achieve safe food, we are committed to making food safety everyone’s business.
- GFSI has two decades of experience in supporting the industry on its food safety journey.
- Today, as a Coalition of Action, GFSI continues to bring together key actors of the food industry to collaboratively drive continuous improvement in food safety management systems around the world.
- Our ambition is to strengthen and harmonise food safety systems so they are able to feed the growing, global population and develop markets that can deliver food safely, no matter where in the world the consumer is.
By focusing our work on benchmarking and harmonisation, capability building and public-private partnerships, our vision is for a world in which:
consumers can have confidence that the food they purchase daily is safe to eat and feed their families; everyone involved in every step of the process of getting food from the field to the plate understands their responsibility in protecting the food’s integrity and safety; companies and governments around the world set aside differences to work together for a safe global food supply; small and local producers and food facilities can grow their business by ensuring their products meet international safety standards; food safety inspectors have consistent and expanded independence, skills, and objectivity; and the many systems and processes that provide controls and assurance on food safety are efficient and don’t unnecessarily duplicate each other.
We believe this vision will enable the industry to safely build trust – with consumers and partners along the supply chain – at a time when demand for the world’s food supply continues to grow and when consumers are demanding more information, more choice and more authenticity in the food they buy.
While many individual companies and organisations share the goal of delivering safe food, our focus is on enabling the extensive collaboration and dialogues that are so critical to achieving it – involving food retailers and manufacturers, suppliers, the agriculture industry, academics, governments and many others across the world.
Underpinning the actions of the Coalition is the Race to the Top Framework, which proposes an enhancement in the oversight of the GFSI ecosystem with the aim of improving trust, transparency and confidence in GFSI-recognised certification and audit outcomes.
Additionally, GFSI is seeking to stay true to its core purpose as a benchmarking and harmonisation organisation responsible for the ‘what’ – not the ‘how’ – of food safety. This redefining of our strategy – based on extensive consultations – is supported by a Coalition Charter and will help our members to collaborate at scale, and with other key stakeholders within the GFSI Community, from farm to fork to ensure transparency in the work we are doing and trust in the outcomes we are achieving.
At our core, we are harmonising and driving improvements in food safety certification programmes; building food safety capabilities across the global food supply chain; and providing a platform for public-private partnerships, including governments, food safety regulators, IGOs.
What is the role of GFSI?
The GFSI Global Markets Programme – The Global Food Safety Initiative Global Markets Programme is a voluntary program that supports smaller businesses across the food industry in developing effective food safety management system. Its four-phase approach, which includes a number of assessments, sets organizations on the path to a GFSI-accredited food safety certification.
What is the difference between GFSI and HACCP?
Both are food safety management systems that aim to ensure the safety of food products. GFSI is a voluntary certification program that sets standards for food safety. HACCP is a mandatory food safety system that is regulated by the government.
What are the standards under GFSI?
Step 2: Selecting the Standard to become Certified to – Which Standard is Right for Me? – The most common GFSI Benchmarked Standards adopted by the food and beverage industry are BRCGS, FSSC 22000, and SQF, along with Global G.A.P., and IFS, Although ISO 22000 is not recognised by the GFSI, FSSC 22000 is very similar and uses ISO 22000 as the requirements for the management system.
- The adoption and certification of a GFSI Benchmarked Standard enables you and your business to access global food markets, and manage your risks, whilst building trust and confidence in your product.
- However, selecting which standard to become certified to can be a daunting process as there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution.
It is also important to understand the differences to decide which standard best aligns with your organisation’s capabilities and product category. Some questions you may ask to help choose the right standard for you and your organisation include: 1. Is GFSI recognition important to your organisation? Are customers requesting this, or does your market favour these schemes? For example, if you are looking to supply to any Major Retailers, it is a requirement that you are certified to a GFSI Benchmarked Standard.2.
Is GFSI the same as BRC?
Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification is growing in importance to food companies, as businesses prepare for many components of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Under the GFSI umbrella, the most popular standards are Safe Quality Food (SQF) and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Food Standard.
Why is ISO 22000 not GFSI?
ISO 22000 would not meet the GFSI benchmark requirements and so is not GFSI ‘approved’. It is however part of the FSSC 22000 Certification scheme which has met GFSI Benchmark requirements.
What is the difference between ISO 22000 and GFSI?
ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 are both international standards and both relate to the most important components for ensuring food safety. Two certification schemes that are very similar and play a key role in ensuring safe and high-quality food products. What are the most important differences? The two schemes are very similar, because the FSSC 22000 scheme uses ISO 22000 as a requirement for the management system.
- However, the FSSC 22000 contains additional requirements, including the Pre-Requisite Program (PRP), or universal procedures used to control the operating conditions in food factories and the specific requirements of the FSSC to ensure consistency, integrity and management of the system itself.
- The main difference between the two certifications is that the FSSC 22000 scheme, in contrast to the ISO standard, is recognized by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative),
GFSI recognition demonstrates that the scheme meets the highest standards globally leading to international food industry acceptance.
Is ISO 22000 recognized by GFSI?
ISO 22000 is not recognized by GFSI. FSSC 22000 is similar to ISO 22000 in that the FSSC 22000 scheme uses ISO 22000 as the requirements for the management system.
Is HACCP part of GFSI?
Is HACCP GFSI Approved? HACCP is an acronym for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application are prescribed in Annex to CAC/RCP 1-1969 (Rev.4 – 2003) Recommended International Code of Practice General Principles of Food Hygiene which contains preliminary steps to Hazard Analysis and the 7 HACCP Principles.
HACCP is not ‘approved’ by GFSI but in third part of the Global Food Safety Initiative GFSI Guidance Document (Current version Seventh Edition Version 7.1) specifies the requirements for the recognition of food safety schemes including the requirements for HACCP or HACCP based requirements to be in place in the scheme’s standard.
For example for GFSI Guidance Document for PROCESSING OF ANIMAL AND PLANT PERISHABLE PRODUCTS (MIXED PRODUCTS) specifies the following HACCP requirements: The standard shall require that the organisation has in place a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP) to identify and control all food safety hazards including allergens, to demonstrate food safety management.
The standard shall require that the HACCP system shall be systematic, comprehensive and thorough and shall be based on the Codex Alimentarius HACCP principles. The standard shall require that the HACCP system shall be capable of accommodating change, such as advances in equipment design, processing procedures or technological developments.
The standard shall require that the scope of the HACCP system shall be required to be defined per product / product category and per process line / process-location. : Is HACCP GFSI Approved?
Is GFSI mandatory?
What are the GFSI standards? | What is GFSI Certification? While pursuing GFSI certification is a voluntary practice, many food and beverage companies seek the accreditation as a demonstration of their commitment to proactive risk mitigation. Food and beverage companies are increasingly seeking third-party certification to achieve greater visibility and credibility within their supply chains.
Is ISO 9001 a GFSI?
Objectives of GFSI –
- Reduce food safety risks by delivering equivalence and convergence between effective food safety management systems
- Manage cost in the global food system by eliminating redundancy and improving operational efficiency
- Develop competencies and capacity building in food safety to create consistent and effective global food systems
- Provide a unique international stakeholder platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and networking
GFSI sets the benchmarks for food safety and quality so that consumers receive the best product possible and companies, in turn, increase their revenue. The standards and audit process are in place so that safety is a priority and quality is a requirement.
There are different certifications and programs that fit within the regulations for GFSI. Some of those programs include SQF, BRCGS, FSSC 22000, Global Red Meat Standard, IFS, and more. Not all of these certifications are required of everyone working in the food processing industry. Although ISO: 9001 is not on the list of GFSI-recognized providers, much of its curriculum is also included in the schemes listed above.
You will most likely need some other form of certification to become completely GSFI approved, but the ISO 9001 is a great place to receive information about quality standards.
Is ISO GFSI recognized?
ISO 22000 is not recognized by GFSI, however a certification scheme that uses ISO 22000 as part of its requirements is. This certification is FSSC 22000, and it is recognized by GFSI.
How is GFSI measured?
Indicator scores are normalized (min-max rescaling) and are scaled from 0 to 100, with 100 corresponding to the most favorable situation. The scores at the dimension level correspond to the weighted mean of underlying indicators. The overall GFSI score is a weighted average of the dimension scores.
Which is better BRC or FSSC 22000?
Differences in GFSI Approved Certifications Schemes – System requirements
The BRC standard has a focus on quality, food safety and legality. The FSSC 22000 targets its focus on food safety and legal compliance. The SQF code has two levels of requirements: Level 2 focuses on food safety and Level 3 on food safety and quality.
System establishment and implementation
The BRC standard has descriptive requirements for process and hygienic control which provide clear guidelines as to how food safety should be addressed. FSSC 22000 provides a good framework against which an organization can develop its food safety management system, as it is not too descriptive and has the flexibility to allow the organization to choose the best way to control its own system. The SQF code requires a combination of SQF system elements and food safety fundamentals based on product category.
Certification process
The BRC has a simple certification process which only requires an onsite audit. The FSSC 22000 standard requires a stage 1 and 2 audit, both to be done on site. The SQF code requires a stage 1 audit that could be done on or off site and a stage 2 audit on site.
Closing Non-conformities (NC)
For the BRC standard all NC’s root cause analysis and objective evidence must be submitted within 28 days. FSSC 22000 requires that critical or major NC detected in stage 1 audit have to be closed during stage 2 audit, and for minor NC the action plan should be submitted. For the SQF code major NC from stage 1 audit must be closed out before stage 2 audit and the root cause and objective evidence need to be submitted in 14 days for majors NC and in 30 days minor NC.
Certificate validity
The BRC and SQF certificate valid for 1 year. The FSSC 22000 certificate is valid for 3 years.
Certification mark
Only organizations that attain SQF level 3 certification can use the SQF quality mark on their products
Whichever standard an organization decides to use, being certified by a GFSI approved certification scheme will help them ensure the delivery of safe food to their consumers, increase their processes’ efficiency and provide a platform for continuous improvement of their food safety management systems. To the novice quality manager, ISO jargon can be extremely overwhelming. What is an NCR? What do you mean by OFI? Are we certified or accredited? But before you go and pull out your hair, let’s take a moment to go over some of the most frequently used terms and their definitions with regards to ISO and Management System Certification.
Is FSSC 22000 and GFSI standard?
Based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards, FSSC 22000 is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognised food safety scheme, and is also supported by the European Food and Drink Association (CIAA) and the American Groceries Manufacturing Association (GMA) – opening up the global market
What is the new name for HACCP?
HARPC as an Upgrade to HACCP HARPC covers food safety concerns beyond CCPs and is mandated by the FDA for most facilities, with some exemptions.
What is the difference between SQF and Brcgs?
Differences in GFSI Approved Certifications Schemes – System requirements
The BRC standard has a focus on quality, food safety and legality. The FSSC 22000 targets its focus on food safety and legal compliance. The SQF code has two levels of requirements: Level 2 focuses on food safety and Level 3 on food safety and quality.
System establishment and implementation
The BRC standard has descriptive requirements for process and hygienic control which provide clear guidelines as to how food safety should be addressed. FSSC 22000 provides a good framework against which an organization can develop its food safety management system, as it is not too descriptive and has the flexibility to allow the organization to choose the best way to control its own system. The SQF code requires a combination of SQF system elements and food safety fundamentals based on product category.
Certification process
The BRC has a simple certification process which only requires an onsite audit. The FSSC 22000 standard requires a stage 1 and 2 audit, both to be done on site. The SQF code requires a stage 1 audit that could be done on or off site and a stage 2 audit on site.
Closing Non-conformities (NC)
For the BRC standard all NC’s root cause analysis and objective evidence must be submitted within 28 days. FSSC 22000 requires that critical or major NC detected in stage 1 audit have to be closed during stage 2 audit, and for minor NC the action plan should be submitted. For the SQF code major NC from stage 1 audit must be closed out before stage 2 audit and the root cause and objective evidence need to be submitted in 14 days for majors NC and in 30 days minor NC.
Certificate validity
The BRC and SQF certificate valid for 1 year. The FSSC 22000 certificate is valid for 3 years.
Certification mark
Only organizations that attain SQF level 3 certification can use the SQF quality mark on their products
Whichever standard an organization decides to use, being certified by a GFSI approved certification scheme will help them ensure the delivery of safe food to their consumers, increase their processes’ efficiency and provide a platform for continuous improvement of their food safety management systems. To the novice quality manager, ISO jargon can be extremely overwhelming. What is an NCR? What do you mean by OFI? Are we certified or accredited? But before you go and pull out your hair, let’s take a moment to go over some of the most frequently used terms and their definitions with regards to ISO and Management System Certification.
