• Indocert
  • Indocert
  • Indocert
 
 
Friday, 18 May 2012
 
 
Guidelines to clients for FSMS certification (ISO 22000:2005)
INDOCERT is an Indian certification body offering Food Safety Management System Certification (FSMS) based on ISO 22000:2005 standards and is under the accreditation process of National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB). 
 
INDOCERT offers FSMS certification to all organisations in the food sector including processors, traders, retailers, food service establishments, manufacturers of processing equipments, packaging materials etc., in a non discriminatory manner.

INDOCERT assess the capability of an organization’s Food Safety Management System by implementing food hygiene with HACCP and confirms their compliance with
  • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application – Annex to CAC/RCP 1 – 1969, Rev 4 (2003)
  • Recommended International Code of Practice General Principles of Food Hygiene – CAC/RCP 1 – 1969, Rev. 4 (2003)
  • ISO 22000: 2005 Food safety management systems
ISO 22000:2005 has an advantage over other international standards as more and more food products are exported around the world, and when food safety issues (both genuine and disguised trade barriers) affect where products may be sold, an internationally recognized standard can provide a distinct advantage over a company whose product cannot be shown to reach that same standard of food safety.

Initial Application 

The first step for getting INDOCERT certification is that the client (the person responsible for the unit to be certified) contacts INDOCERT office. Upon request, INDOCERT sends a detailed application package including the application form and procedure for INDOCERT certification. To apply for certification the client needs to complete he application form and return it to the INDOCERT.

After receiving the filled in application form, INDOCERT sends an offer for its services along with the scale of fees. On accepting the offer, the client needs to send 75 % of the offer fees as advance in the form of DD in favour of M/s. INDOCERT payable at Alwaye. INDOCERT will then send the client contract which should be read, understood and signed by the responsible person of the client organization and send back to INDOCERT. 
 
 Pre-assessment Audit (Optional)

Pre-assessment is an optional assessment that can be requested to assess elements of the system and/or determine the gaps between the current HACCP system and ISO 22000 prior to a first stage assessment. It may be conducted as a gap analysis to ascertain the progress in implementing the ISO 22000 system.
 
Initial Certification Audit
 
Initial certification audit consists of two stage audits:

Stage 1 Audit

Upon receipt of the signed contract, the client should be informed of the date for stage 1 audit which is carried out at client’s location to assess the client’s food safety management system conform with all the requirements of the ISO 22000:2005 standard, to verify that the food safety management system is designed to achieve the organization’s food safety policy and objectives, to assess the capability of the food safety management system to manage compliance with statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements and to confirm the planned arrangements for the Stage 2 audit.

Once the client is prepared for stage 2 audit, date and time for stage 2 on-site audit is fixed in consultation with the client. During the audit, INDOCERT auditors will abide to the principles of Confidentiality (8.4 TE Declaration of Confidentiality & Non Disclosure). The stage 1 audit findings are recorded and sent to the client as audit report, indicating any areas of concern that could be classified as nonconformity during the stage 2 audit.

While determining the interval between stage 1 and stage 2 audits, INDOCERT consider the convenience and needs of the client to resolve the areas of concern identified during the stage 1 audit. Accordingly, INDOCERT will revise its plan & arrangements for stage 2 audit. The interval between stage 1 and stage 2 audits should not be longer than 6 months. The stage 1 audit should be repeated if a longer interval is taken.

Stage 2 Audit

The stage 2 audit takes place at client’s The stage 2 audit takes place at client’s site to confirm
  • the implementation, including the effectiveness of the client’s food safety management system to the requirements of the ISO 22000:2005,
  • to verify that the information and evidence of conformity is achieved to all requirements of the food safety management system standard,
  • to assess the capability of the food safety management system to perform key activities, such as processes & activities including production methods, controls, PRP’s, HACCP plans & procedures as well as competency of personnel managing and involved in the food safety functions, in conformity with ISO standard,
  • to assess the client’s food safety management system in compliance with statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements;
  • to confirm that the client’s food safety management system is effective in achieving the stated food safety policies and objectives
Based on the objective evidence of conformity or nonconformity to the requirements of ISO 22000:2005, the lead auditor in consultation with audit team members arrives at audit conclusion based on audit findings. If non-conformities are found during the audit, a corrective action request form is provided to client to comment on the nonconformities and a corrective actions plan will be decided in consultation with the client who should submit the corrective action report to INDOCERT upon closure of the non conformities.
if there is any major non –conformity found during the stage 2 audit, the effectiveness of the corrective action will be verified by an on-site follow up audit.

Post Certification Activity

Surveillance audits

On-site Surveillance Audit is conducted for first and second year to assess thOn-site Surveillance Audit is conducted for first and second year to assess thOn-site Surveillance Audit is conducted for first and second year to assess the clients continued compliance to the requirements of standard. The surveillance audit program shall include, at least
  • internal audits and management review,
  • a review of actions taken on nonconformities identified during the previous audit,
  • treatment of complaints,
  • effectiveness of the management system with regard to achieving the certified client's objectives,
  • progress of planned activities aimed at continual improvement,
  • continuing operational control,
  • review of any changes, and
  • use of marks and/or any other reference to certification
Recertification Audit

Recertification audit is conducted in the same manner as of initial certification audit within every 3 years but before the expiry of certification, and if there is any significant changes in the client’s FSMS, stage 1 audit is required.
 
Suspending, Withdrawing Or Reducing The Scope Of Certification
 
INDOCERT will suspend, withdraw or reduce the client’s scope of certification in following events:
  • The client’s certified food safety management system has persistently or seriously failed to meet certification requirements, including requirements for the effectiveness of the management system,
  • The certified client does not allow surveillance or recertification audits to be conducted at the required frequencies,
  • The certified client has voluntarily requested a suspension
Under suspension, the client’s management system certification is temporarily invalid.Further failure to resolve the issues that have resulted in the suspension within a time frame shall result in withdrawal or reduction of the scope of certification.

The maximum allowable suspension period will be 6 months within which the client has to revoke its certification status from suspended to operational status.

Under the category of reduction of the scope of certification, INDOCERT will exclude the parts not meeting the requirements, when the client has persistently or seriously failed to meet the certification requirements for those parts of the scope of certification. Such reduction of scope will be in line with the requirements of the ISO 22000:2005 standard used for the certification.
 
Balance Payment

After the audit, the total certification costs are finalized and an invoice is sent to the client, along with two copies of the audit report, duly signed by the Audit Team Leader. The client must send the balance amount of the final invoice to INDOCERT. Also, a signed copy of the audit report must be send to INDOCERT for filing.
 
Certification

Upon receipt of the full payment, the audit report will be forwarded to certification desk for further review & the file will be submitted to the certification committee. If additional documents are required, a communication will be sent to the client. 
 
Certification Decision

The certification committee will take the certification decision based on the audit conclusions and recommendation of audit team. Certification decisions will be intimated to the client.
 
Certificates & INDOCERT Logo/Marks 
 
If the company is in compliance with the relevant standard requirements, they can advertise their company profile as ISO 22000:2005 certified company with INDOCERT logo. Product labelling doesn’t come under the scope of certification. 

The INDOCERT logo and accreditation mark(s) are sent (soft copy by mail) to the certified client along with certificate document.

The client has to submit the sample of matter printed with logo either by soft or hard copy to INDOCERT for the final approval of logo usage.
 
Handling Appeals and Complaints

Clients are free to approach INDOCERT for any type of complaints or appeals against the INDOCERT staff, INDOCERT certification system or other clients certified by INDOCERT. Any complaints or appeals have to be made either in writing or through e-mail or phone to the INDOCERT office. Complaints will be handled confidentially. The Appeals Committee of INDOCERT deals with appeals and takes decisions on the same.
 
Standards
 
The ISO 22000:2005 standard can be obtained from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), New Delhi office.