The supplier said that its food manufacturer customers are seeking evidence of documented safety to ensure that the quality of their products can be proved, and it maintains that the FSSC 22000 enables that level of assurance and transparency about a certified third party's products.
The new standard combines the ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management standard with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 220:2008 and other additional requirements.
Developed by major branded food manufacturers as an alternative to retailer-backed schemes such as the BRC (British Retail Consortium) global standard, FSSC 22000 secured full approval from standards benchmarking body the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) in February.
GFSI aims to improve cost efficiency throughout the food supply chain through the common acceptance of its recognised standards by retailers around the world.
Novozymes said the GFSI concept of once certified – approved everywhere ensures the appeal of the standard and director of quality at the supplier, Marie-Anne Bie Fryeendahl, told BakeryandSnacks.com that it chose this particular certification option as it fits in with Novozymes business model and is in line with its customer’s expectations:
“The trigger for the certification move was requests from bakery and other food sectors for GFSI backing of our food safety management system. It was not a time consuming process, as we already had most requirements of the standard already in place."
She explained that the FSC 22000 auditing procedure took five days and she said this was due to the fact that Novozymes has been continually honing its management system and had already included definitions and guidelines for operators in relation to each step of the manufacturing process from raw materials to transport and equipment.
Moreover, the system, said Bie Fryeendahld, is easily accessible by employees at every level to ensure efficiency and quality at each step of manufacture.
And she stressed that the whole food supply chain benefits from having a small range of acknowledged standards, where the individual supplier can adopt the standard best suited to its way of working.
Novozymes, under the scheme, will be subject to an annual surveillance audit.