PRIORITY business intelligence

At the end of January will be available the final version of the new version of the standard IFS Food version 6. The development of a new version of the model began in December 2010 and the changes were based in part on the views of users as reflected through questionnaires.

HACCP - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points according to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and Codex Alimentarius standards, guidelines and code of practices

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), is used to describe an internationally recognized way of managing food safety and protecting consumers. It is a requirement of EU food hygiene legislation that applies to all food business operators except farmers and growers.

ISO 22000:2005- International Standard for Food Safety Management Systems -- Requirements for any organization in the food chain

Food reaches consumers via supply chains that may link many different types of organizations and may stretch across multiple borders. One weak link may result in unsafe food that is dangerous to health and if this happens, the hazards to consumers may be serious.

ISO 22000 is an international standard designed to allow all types of organizations within the food chain to implement a Food Safety Management System. These include feed producers, primary producers, food manufacturers, transport and storage operators and sub contractors, retail service outlets, producers of equipments, packaging materials, cleaning agents, additives and ingredients.

OHSAS 18001 is the latest certification specification for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. It is based on already published criteria such as BS 8800 and the Management Regulations 1992. OHSAS 18001 is an audit/certification specification, not a legislative requirement or a guide to implementation.

FSSC 22000- Food Safety System Certification/ Certification scheme for food safety systems of food manufacturing

FSSC 22000 is a certification scheme specifically targeted at food manufacturers. It helps secure food safety standards within the production process of the supply chain.

FSSC 22000 combines the requirements of ISO 22000:2005 (Food Safety Management Systems requirements) and PASS220:2008 (prerequisite programmes on food safety for food manufacturing).

The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental performance. Since 2001 EMAS has been open to all economic sectors including public and private services. Participation in EMAS is voluntary.

The accreditation process determines the technical competence and integrity of organisations offering testing, inspection, calibration and certification services (collectively known as evaluation services or conformity assessment services).

The international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 defines what is required of a laboratory in order for it to get accredited i.e. to demonstrate both technical competence of the personnel and the availability of all the technical resources needed to produce reliable data and results for a defined set of tests, measurements or calibrations.

In addition to the technical requirements, there is a second major component of this standard which requires that the management systems of the facility meet the principles of ISO 9001:2008.

What is an Information Security Management System?

The use of computer systems, electronic files and data transfer networks is an indispensable tool for the operation of modern businesses. However, the operation of computer systems and the security of the information stored within is put at risk by unexpected malfunction, malevolent external attacks, viruses and malware or even by the personnel's inability to fully understand and utilize the technical capabilities of such systems.

ISO/IEC 27001:2005 is an international standard for Information Security Management, published by ISO (International Organization for Standardization), that encompasses widely accepted best practices for protecting electronic data. The standard aims at safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information through the implementation of a set of control measures.

BS EN 16001 is an European Standard for Energy Management, which provides a robust framework for optimizing energy efficiency in public and private sector organisations. Certification to this standard defines an organisation's commitment to continual improvement in energy management. Implementation will enable an organisation to lead by example within their respective industries and ensure related legislative and regulatory requirements are met.

In a globalized environment there is a need to establish minimum requirements for the production and marketing of those products that safety is especially critical.

The European Union has adopted a series of European Directives which lay down standards for specific product categories and make mandatory the CE Mark to release these products in the European Economic Area, either the manufacturer is located inside or outside E.U.