The Scheme

Certification criteria for Food Safety (FS) auditors have been developed by SAATCA  in order to certificate auditors conducting independent internal or external audits, indicating that they have the skills required to effectively perform Food Safety Management System audits.

The criteria for the scheme has been aligned with the requirements of the International Auditor and Training Certification Association (IPC), the requirements of ISO 19011, ISO 17021 and the ISO 22000 series of standards.

Objectives

• To raise the level of professional recognition for FS auditors
• To add value to a Food Safety audits by ensuring auditor competence
• That auditors meet or exceed the qualification criteria described in ISO19011 and ISO 17021
• To provide international recognition of auditors certified in Southern Africa
• To assist organisations in selecting appropriately qualified auditors
• To provide a credible FS auditor certification program

About ISO 22000

The ISO 22000 international standard specifies the requirements for a food safety that involves the following elements:

• interactive communication
• system management
• prerequisite programmes
• HACCP principles

Communication along the food chain is essential to ensure that all relevant food safety hazards are identified and adequately controlled at each step within the food chain. This implies communication between organizations both upstream and downstream in the food chain. Communication with customers and supplies about identified hazards and control measures will assist in clarifying customer and supplier requirements.

Recognition of the organization’s role and position within the food chain is essential to ensure effective interactive communication throughout the chain in order to deliver safe food products to the final consumer.

The most effective food safety systems are established, operated and updated within the framework of a structured management system and incorporated into the overall management activities of the organization. This provides maximum benefit for the organization and interested parties. ISO 22000 has been aligned with ISO 9001 in order to enhance the compatibility of the two standards

ISO 22000 integrates the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and application steps developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. By means of auditable requirements, it combines the HACCP plan with prerequisite programmes. Hazard analysis is the key to an effective food safety, since conducting a hazard analysis assists in organizing the knowledge required to establish an effective combination of control measures. ISO 22000 requires that all hazards that may be reasonably expected to occur in the food chain, including hazards that may be associated with the type of process and facilities used, are identified and assessed. Thus it provides the means to determine and document why certain identified hazards need to be controlled by a particular organization and why others need not.

ATTENTION: Food Safety

The Draft SAATCA Criteria for Food Safety Auditor Version 6.2 was sent out to all the industries mentioned below: