, nye = Free Resource ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System Course Section 4: Leadership Role & Context of Organization ‘What is Leadership role as mandated by the standard? There is an increased focus on top management to prove leadership and commitment with respect to the FSMS and food safety policy. Moreover, top management is also required to make sure that all responsibilities have been allocated, communicated and agrees around organization. Top management have a duty to make sure that the significance of effective food safety is communicated and comprehended by all stakeholders and ensuring that the FSMS attains its planned outcomes. Top management must ensure a leadership role and exhibit commitment towards the food safety management system by: a) Ownership: Owning complete responsibility and accountability for food safety management system b) Policy and Objectives: Making sure that food safety policy and concerning objectives are identified and are related with the strategy of the company c) Business Integration: Making sure the integration of the food safety management system requirements into the business processes of food organization. 4) Provision of Resources: Making sure the availability of the resources required to develop, apply, sustain and enhance the food safety management system e) Significance Communication: Communicating the significance of implemented food safety management and its compliance to standard. requirements, nye = Free Resource f) Maintenance and Evaluation: Making sure that the food safety management system is evaluated and maintained so that it produces its. planned results. g) Continual Improvement: Making sure and encouraging continual improvement h) Empowerment of Roles: Empowering other appropriate management roles to prove their leadership when it comes to areas they lead 1) Culture: Establishing, leading and encouraging a culture in the food organization that assists the desired results of the food safety management system j) Coaching: Directing and supporting persons to contribute to the effectiveness of the food safety management system, myles = Free Resource Who is responsible for establishing, implementing and maintaining an FSMS policy? Top management i.e. leadership of food organization must develop, apply and maintain a food safety policy. The policy should have following elements a) Appropriateness: The food safety policy should be appropriate to the purpose and context of food organization. b) Framework for setting the food safety objectives: Policy should provide a framework to setting FSMS objectives c) Commitment to meet legal and other requirements: Policy should show commitment to fulfill legal, regulatory, statutory, mutually agreed customer requirements and other requirements to which the food organization subscribe. d) Internal and External Communication: Policy should show commitment to address internal and external communication. ) Commitment to continual improvement: Policy should exhibit commitment towards continual improvement of food safety management system. £) Specific Commitment to gain competencies in food safety: Other specific commitment includes a need for food organization to gain competency related to food safety management system.y nye = Free Resource Requirements for FSMS Policy The food safety policy should be ensured in following requirements: + Policy must be controlled as documented information * Policy must be communicated in the food organization at all levels * Policy should be available to interested parties * Policy should be applicable and suitable Helpful Tips for making FSMS Policy + Make food safety policy related to organization’s products, services, and activities and their impacts on the food safety + Incorporate a commitment to continual improvement, and compliance with relevant food safety legislation + Keep it simple and understandable + Ifapplicable, integrate it with quality policy. + Consider addressing the following issues, where practicable : © Policy should focus on the food products and specifically identify it (if possible) © Policy should focus on effective communication for food safety to all important stakeholders’ i.e. external suppliers and internal functions. © Sharing of food safety knowledge with all employees including awareness, training and development o Encourage “food safety” measures and system development for suppliers / contractorsy wake = Free Resource Roles, responsibilities and authorities in FSMS system (Clause - 5.3) Leadership should show commitment in following ways: + Allocation of Responsibilities and authorities: Leadership must make sure that the responsibilities & authorities for applicable roles in the food safety management system are allocated and communicated at all relevant levels in the food organization + Documented Information: Roles, responsibilities and authorities are maintained as documented information. Note: Responsibility can be delegated but accountability of the food safety management system remains with the top management. Top management must ensure the responsibility and authority for: a) Requirements Fulfilment: Making sure that the food safety management system fulfills the requirements of ISO 22000 b) Reporting of FSMS Outcomes: Reporting on the outcomes of the food safety management system to top management c) Appointments: Appointing food safety management system team and food safety team leader ) Designation of Instigation of actions: Designating persons with defined responsibility and authority to initiate and document actions. The food safety team leader must perform followings functions as part of his role: + Alive FSMS: Making sure the FSMS is developed, applied, maintained and upgraded. + Collaboration: Managing and collaborating the work of the food safety team. + Trainings: Ascertaining pertinent training and competencies for the food safety team.J Free Resource + Performance Reporting: Reporting to top management on the effectiveness and appropriateness of the FSMS. All persons must have the responsibility to state problems relevant to the food safety system to responsible persons., nye = Free Resource Understanding the food organization and its context (Clause - 4.1) The food organization must determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its food safety system and that affect its ability to achieve the intended outcomes of its food safety management system. Such issues must include food safety conditions being affected by or capable of affecting the food organization. Business Context Elements for Food safety management system: + Understanding the company and its context + The management must identify external and internal issues that are applicable to its existent. + Highlighted issues have affected to its capability to attain the plan results of its food safety management system. The food organization must identify, review and update information related to these external and internal issues.y nye = Free Resource Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties (Clause - 4.2) The food organization must determine: + Interested parties along with employees, that are applicable to the food safety management system. + Applicable requirements and expectations (i.e. requirements) of employees and interested parties + Specify requirements and expectations that are legal and other requirements.y myles = Free Resource Internal Issues Internal issues of food organization constitutes internal context. Internal issues are actions or products and services that may affect organization’s food safety performance. Collaboration of businesses and their trend have altered in the last decade with the advancement of the internet and businesses beyond borders. Professionals can examine why defining the business context of has now become a fundamental component of the ISO standards. Food safety is no different, in that managements have more and wider-reaching issues to consider when planning the operation of the food safety system itself. So, when analyzing the business context, what you should consider. Initially, let’s examine common internal issues we can list: + The competence of food organization's workforce for ensuring effective FSMS + The commitment of workers regarding food safety + The readiness to collaborate and remain within the declared specifications of FSMS + Organization’s communication channels for FSMS and their significance, myles = Free Resource External Factors External factors are issues that are outside the food organization but influences the organization's food business and operations. It may include legal, economic, social, or political issues susceptible to damage by your organization's food safety performance. Some of the important and common external factors are discussed below: Legislation & regional laws: Of course, this is important to organization’s food safety performance. Economic & Political Situations: Both economic and political conditions of the food sector in which organization operates impact business processes. Therefore food organization should adapt and respond to such changes in political and economic space. The adaptability will be addressed in policy. Objectives and programs. Stakeholders & shareholders: Whether placed in internal or external, their expectations must be taken care of. They will also be concerned about business and so with food safety performance. National and international agencies: These are also external bodies but can impact food organizations. They might need restructuring of your business parameters for food safety. For example FDA bans the usage, sales and distribution of seven artificial food flavorings for example benzophenone, ethyl acrylate, methyl eugenol, myrcene, pulegone, or pyridine (Source: https://www.npr.crg/sections/thesalt/2018/10/06/688135633/fda-bans- use-of-7-synthetic-food-additives-after-environmental-groups-sue). Documenting the analysis of business context is also recommended, so as to show evidence of doing this analysis with auditors and other stakeholders. A consistent review of these parameters should be done to address changes in changing world.y whe Free Resource Benefits of Business Context Compliance with laws & regulations is one main advantage of implementing this new requirement, which will safeguard businesses from penalty such as legal and financial. The well-being of food safety is the foremost and important objective and the crucial advantage. Latest discoveries and researches of contemporary food safety issues for example food borne illnesses like food poisoning and diarrhea, food contamination like bacterial and viral contamination, pesticide exposure that leads to various issues like infertility, birth defects, poisoning, nervous system damage and cancer etc. explicates that legislation will continue to update, and if business context is documented and reviewed, food organizations can truly alter their systems in a state that food safety system functions effectively with relevancy towards the latest issues. Asample on business context is shared as a free resource in Section 4 for learners to understand how to document context of organization related to food safety management system., nye = Free Resource Interested parties - Who qualifies? All entities who are concerned with organization’s food safety performance including community, neighbors, contractual partners, and shareholders are qualified as interested party for FSMS. Some of the interested parties are discussed below: + Management and shareholders ~ They are importantly connected to all the business strategic decisions and are concerned about the well-being of the business. + External providers, contractor and service parties - Consider the association between the organization and third party providers, then it is evident that the proceedings of third party vendors and external suppliers make them to be incorporated as an “interested party.” Their role is important for the effectiveness of food safety management system. They can also be a source for introducing food safety risk in the supply chain of food. Therefore they should be considered an interested party. Organization should develop proper controls to manage their performance. + Manufacturing and business partners — They are business partners who maintain an important interest in the results of management's decisions and food organization’s proceedings on FSMS. + Government, regulatory or legislative bodies — When legal requirements must be fulfilled, and then these parties become, nye = Free Resource interested parties with authority over organizations in the area of food safety. + Customers — Customers are the most important interested party for food safety management system. After all they purchase quality food products which should be prepared in hygienic condition. In the absence of proper controls they will suffer the negative impact of food on health, including acute diseases. Customer's safety is the crux of the standard., Tle Free Resource Identifying the scope of the food safety management system The top management must identify the boundaries and applicability of the food safety management system to develop its scope. When identifying this scope, the management must: a) Think about the external and internal issues b) Consider needs and expectations of interested parties c) Consider products, services and activities 4) Organization units, functions and physical boundaries ) Compliance obligations The food safety management system must involve the activities, products and services within the management's control or influence that can impact the management's food safety performance. The scope must be incorporated as documented information.y ie Free Resource Food safety management system The management must develop, apply, carry on and continually improve food safety management system, together with the processes required and their interfacing, in compliance with the requirements of ISO 22000 and business context.