NM ISO 22000 Certification

 

What is NM ISO 22000 certification?

 

It is a testifying of conformity from the Ministry of Industry that a business Food Security Management System (SMSDA) conforms to Moroccan standard NM ISO 22000V2006.

 

Currently, ISO 22000 is the only international standard on food security management. Its structure takes the related provisions of ISO 9001:2000 into account in order to integrate the different management reference systems currently in use.

 

It rests on four closely linked principles :

 

  • Responsible leadership
  • Resource management
  • Conceiving and developing guaranteed products
  • The validation, verification and improvement of SMSDA.

 

ISO 22000 applies to all involved parties in the agro-food industry. Its requirements are based on five fundamental elements that are essential to ensure food safety at all levels of the industry: a systematic approach, interactive communication, accountability, Pre-requisite Programs (PRP) and HACCP—the system for Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points—plan(s).

 

These elements are partially integrated into this standard. Chapter 7 deals with conceiving and developing guaranteed products. PRP systems are addressed under the umbrella of the HACCP plan, as described in the Codex Alimentarius.

 

The processes necessary to validate, verify and improve SMSDA must be put into place in order to ensure that the results conform to set food safety goals.

 

ISO 22000 is applicable to all parties involved in the agro-food industry, regardless of their size. It concerns the following actors:

 

  • Primary food, foodstuff and ingredient producers.
  • Livestock feed producers and livestock transporters, distributors and stock organizations.
  • Consumer sales locations or restaurants/ caterers.

 

It also applies to supplementary organizations :

 

  • Food packaging or cleaning products providers.
  • Service providers (factory or clothes cleaners, pest control, etc.)

 

What is the NM ISO 22000 certification process?

 

1. Request submission

 

The certification process begins with a company’s official request for certification. This request follows the standard model and includes a completed business identification questionnaire, which includes H.A.C.C.P plans and a document describing the SMSDA certification as well as all procedures set forth in standard ISO 22000, also the reporting of the last management review, and the legal and regular applicable requirements and the related conformity report.

2. Request admissibility study

 

 

 

Upon the receipt of this request, SNIMA carries out a request admissibility study wherein it examines the submitted documents to judge or not to pursue the certification process.

 

 

 

3. Preliminary visit and quality document analysis

 

 

 

The initial SMSDA audit requires a preliminary step, carried out by the audit manager designated by SNIMA. This step comprehends the following activities:

 

 

 

a) Analysis of SMSDA documents with reference to NM ISO 22000,
b)Evaluation of locations and conditions specific to the requestor’s plant(s) site(s) and exchange of information with company personnel in order to determine their preparedness for the initial certification audit;
c)Review of the requestor’s current situation and its comprehension of standard requirements, especially in the matter of identifying key SMSDA actions, processes, goals and functions;
d)Validation of requestor’s ID questionnaire;
e) Review of the allocation of resources for the initial audit and this audit’s details;
f) Scheduling and drawing up program for initial certification audit and confirming that there is sufficient time for the audit;
g) Verifying suitability of the schedule, internal audits and planning of management review towards putting SMSDA in place in order to decide whether the company’s SMSDA is ready to be audited.

 

 

 

NB. Steps b and d above are carried out by a day-long visit to the requestor’s plant site.

 

 

 

4. Carrying out audit

 

 

 

While the initial audit is performed, the non conformities found are validated with the auditee who must propose suitable corrective actions within appropriate timetable. The lead auditor evaluates the auditee's answers and prepares the audit report and sends it to SNIMA.

 

 

 

5. audit report examination Certification decision

 

The audit report is examined by the relevant certification sub committee with formulates a proposal on the following steps to take.

 

 

 

6. Certification decision

 

 

 

The Standardization and Quality Promotion Director ratifies the sub committee's proposal and adds all necessary information to justify his decision.

 

 

 

If the decision is favorable, a certificate signed by the Ministry of Industry is awarded to the requestor and the certification decision is published in the Official Bulletin.

 

What are the advantages of NM ISO 22000 certification?

 

NM ISO 22000 has many advantages among which are :

 

  • Every actor in the food preparation process gains a more effective and dynamic understanding of the importance of food safety, which offers the opportunity to permanently supply high-quality products that meet both consumer and regulatory requirements in terms of health and safety.
  • The assurance provided to involved parties by transparent, targeted communication between partners.
  • The initiation of a structural approach that involves all interested parties in the process of continued improvement.