ISO 22000: Communication

Communication

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Innovative technologies, interconnectivity and global availability raise issues related to intellectual property rights. By allowing patent technologies to be embedded and signaled in its standards, under fair and nondiscriminatory conditions, ISO is ensuring the continuing interplay between innovation and standardization, and that great ideas are brought to market.

ISO 22000:2005, Food safety management systems Requirements for any organization in the food chain is the first management system standard on food safety to go beyond the recommendations put forward in 1993 by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Inevitably, the arrival of this brand new standard with its updated approach is accompanied by issues of interpretation and how to meet its requirements. These innovations mainly relate to the interpretation, consistency and thoroughness of the HACCP method of controlling food safety hazards. Indeed, ISO 22000 is the first standard that not only endorses the Codex Alimentarius recommendations, but also attempts to fill the gaps and inconsistencies brought to light by 13 years of accumulated experience with HACCP.

Interactive Communication 

Interactive communications is an exchange of ideas where both participants, whether human, machine or art form, are active and can have an effect on one another. It is a dynamic, two-way flow of information. Many forms of communication previously thought one-way, like books and television, have become interactive with the rise of computers, the Internet, and digital and mobile devices. These developing collaborative technologies, or new media, have rapidly increased the opportunities for interactive communication across mediums, disciplines, cultures, social classes, locations, and even time. Interactive communication is a modern term that encompasses these evolving forms of conversation. It is a primary characteristic of the present Information Age. New experiments in interaction design are evolving on a daily basis.

Effective interactive communication strategies can help you give and receive the input and feedback you need to run your food safety system effectively. Good business communication skills have the potential to eliminate or reduce food safety risks, food hygiene issues, workplace mistakes, oversights and interoffice conflict. A proactive stance to productive modes of communication whether electronic or in person can also improve efficiency and productivity in your food manufacturing environment. In ISO 22000, External communication relating to food safety hazards throughout the food chain (upstream and down- stream) while internal communication to ensure that the HACCP team is informed in real-time of all changes (e.g. raw materials, facilities and installations, recipes, requirements, etc.) likely to affect the system.

Establish Communication Preferences

Ask employees and team leaders about their preferences for exchanging job relevant information. Some people might prefer electronic forms of interactive communication, while others might be more comfortable in face-to-face or group settings in which information is exchanged verbally. Once you understand the ways that your employees prefer to interact, you can tailor your approach to best meet individual needs.

Develop Communication Policies

Communication policies can help you define the parameters in which you want employees to work when it comes to information exchange. For example, you can develop guidelines for sending emails, copying others, forwarding messages and even the appropriate response time for answering queries. Also develop telephone and written communication guidelines and outline when it is appropriate to use one form over another. When employees understand what you want from them in terms of interactive communication, they are better able to comply.

Use Technology When Appropriate

Interactive communication can be facilitated through a variety of electronic mediums, including video-conferences and teleconferences. While this allows for a wider range of business communication channels, sometimes in-person communication is more appropriate and effective. Examples include instances when team members have not met in person for a period of time, when a discussion topic is complex, there are numerous participants, or where it’s important to read non-verbal signals and cues from one another. When using interactive technology, make an effort to include everyone just as you would in a live meeting.

According to ISO 22000

Clause 5.6.1 External Communication

How is sufficient information provided to all involved in the food chain?

How is it determined which external bodies to communicate with

Who is/are the designated responsible person(s) for external communications?

Are records of external communications maintained (record samples seen?)

How are statutory, regulatory and customer food safety requirements communicated (record samples seen)

Clause 5.6.2 Internal Communication

What are the internal communication processes?

How are the food safety team updated as required of items a-m of the standard?

Are communications understood at all levels of the company (record the names and positions of the persons interviewed?)

This is direct from that standard but the key is your determine what the significant issues are to be communicated, if you determine everything is significant then you will have a massive amount of paperwork to deal with. This means the hazard analysis needs to have been effective and you can justify the ranking of hazards

Responsibility for food safety is shared along the food chain. To ensure that sufficient information on food safety issues is available throughout the chain, organizations need to establish mechanisms for effectively communicating with their suppliers and contractors, customers or consumers, statutory and regulatory authorities and others that have an impact on, or will be affected by, the effectiveness or up-dating of their system. It is particularly important to provide information about food safety hazards that need to be controlled by other organizations along the chain.

ISO 22000 identifies the following four “pillars” of a food safety management system:

Interactive communication;

System management;

Prerequisite programmes;

HACCP principles;

Communication should ensure that the necessary interactions occur within the organization and along the food supply chain. External communication should ensure that any relevant hazards are controlled at the appropriate steps in the food chain. It provides the method by which the organization and the external organizations agree by contract, or other means, upon the level of food safety required and on the capability of delivering to the agreed requirements.

External communications are planned activities. Channels of communication should be established. Therefore, your organization must identify the organizations involved in this activity. The external organizations include suppliers, customers, trade organizations and statutory or regulatory authorities. You will also need to consider whether or not your organization must communicate directly with consumers. With respect to food safety hazards, your organization needs to take the initiative in communicating and securing information about: 

Food safety hazards:

that it may not or cannot control and which consequently need to be controlled at other steps in the food chain (e.g. by your suppliers or customers or by consumers). The levels of food safety that your organization requires or can attain as the basis for mutual acceptance with your suppliers or your customers;

Withdrawal of nonconforming product(s);

Newly identified hazards or changes to your food safety management system that impact on the food safety management systems of your suppliers or customers;

Statutory or regulatory requirements in your country or in foreign markets if your products are exported. One of the responsibilities of the food safety team leader may be liaison with external parties on matters relating to food safety. This could include communication about hazards, control measures, supplier or customer requirements, withdrawals, etc.

Employees must be assigned specific responsibilities for liaison with external organizations on food safety matters. The person may be the food safety team leader or another employee (e.g. marketing manager). The organization must ensure that the internal channels of communication facilitate the flow of information to the food safety team in a timely manner. New information about hazards and changes in customer requirements, supplier capability, statutes or regulations, etc., must be incorporated into your food safety management system. New information about your system needs to be communicated to your suppliers, customers, regulatory or statutory authorities and consumers, as required. Information about food safety issues needs to be retained. In addition, the organization needs to have available the food safety requirements from statutory or regulatory authorities and customers.

To demonstrate that your organization has undertaken the appropriate external communications with suppliers, customers and statutory or regulatory authorities, you will need to keep records or have access to the information. In the case of statutory or regulatory requirements, it may be difficult for small or medium-sized businesses to keep up to date. Government offices or Web sites as well as those of associations representing your sector are likely to be good sources of information. You need to assure yourself that the version you are using is the most recent and you will need to have in place a process for regularly updating these external documents. ISO 22000 demands either availability or accessibility. This means you may not need to have materials on site – you may just need to know where and when you accessed them and be able to do so again. One way of accomplishing this is to bookmark a webpage on your Web browser program. Your procedure must also comply with any stated regulatory requirements.

You will also need to provide evidence of your communications with suppliers, customers and statutory or regulatory authorities. These records should include the information that you have exchanged about your food safety management systems, the hazards your team has identified, etc. Your purchasing specifications and the contracts can also be part of these records. Contracts can include information about food safety issues, such as microbiological requirements, etc.

Internal communication is just as important as external communication in ensuring that your organization’s system is effective. Any changes, such as the planned introduction of new products or changes to current products, processes or production systems and equipment, need to be taken into account. The food safety team must have this information in a timely manner so that it can be included in the updating of the food safety management system.

Your food safety management system needs to be fully integrated into the planning processes within your organization. The food safety team needs to be made aware of changes in processes and products since these changes may affect food safety.

Examples of process or product changes include:

Products or new products;

Raw materials, ingredients and services;

Production systems and equipment;

Production premises, location of equipment, surrounding environment;

Cleaning and sanitation programmes;

Packaging, storage and distribution systems;

Personnel qualification levels and/or allocation of responsibilities and authorizations;

Statutory and regulatory requirements;

Knowledge regarding food safety hazards and control measures;

Customer, sector and other requirements that the organization observes;

Relevant inquiries from external interested parties;

Complaints indicating food safety hazards associated with the product;

Other conditions that have an impact on food safety.