Risk Management in Food Production: Why HACCP Isn't Enough and What Does ISO 22000 Have to Do with It

Imagine a typical workday at your company. The production lines hum, employees are busy with their tasks, and the quality control department is checking samples. A HACCP certificate proudly hangs on the wall in the manager's office. Everything seems under control. Safety is ensured, requirements are met, and you can sleep soundly.
As auditors at the certification body Guard Is Certification sp z.o.o., we see this difference every day. Companies with a strong HACCP can be extremely vulnerable to hazards beyond the production line. ISO 22000 was created precisely to close these gaps. This article provides a clear explanation of the specific risks involved and how the standard transforms them from threats into manageable processes.
Let's define the terms. HACCP is a methodology for managing hazards directly related to a product. Its goal is to ensure that the consumer receives a safe product. The scope of HACCP control is specific operational hazards:
• Biological: Pathogenic microorganisms (salmonella, listeria), mold.
• Chemical: Detergent residues, pesticides, allergens.
• Physical: Glass, metal, and plastic fragments.
HACCP excels at this through analysis and control at CCPs. This is an indispensable foundation. But that's where its mandate ends.
ISO 22000 introduces the concept of risk-based thinking throughout the organization. The standard requires analyzing and managing risks that could undermine the company's ability to consistently produce safe products.
Here are specific examples of these risks that you begin managing with ISO 22000:
1. Resource-related risks:
• Human resources: What happens if the laboratory manager suddenly resigns? Is there a procedure for knowledge transfer and emergency replacement? Is there a personnel reserve?
• Infrastructure: Your water treatment system relies on a single pump with no backup. A breakdown would mean an indefinite shutdown of production.
• Finance: Will your budget be sufficient for unscheduled repairs of critical equipment or for purchasing more expensive but safer raw materials if the supplier raises prices?
2. Process and Supplier Risks:
• Supply Chain: Your primary raw material supplier is located in a region with political instability. Do you have an approved and verified alternative supplier?
• Change Management: You've decided to replace one preservative with another. Has a full analysis of the impact of this change on shelf life, microbiology, and product labeling been conducted?
• Outsourcing: You've outsourced logistics. Are you confident that the shipping company is actually adhering to temperature regulations? ISO 22000 requires external process control procedures.
3. Risks Related to Communications and Information:
• Internal Communications: A line employee noticed an unusual color of raw materials. Does he know who and how to immediately notify them to stop the batch, rather than just making a note in the log at the end of the shift?
• External Communications: New legislation on allergen labeling has been introduced. How quickly will this information travel from the lawyer to the technologist and marketer to amend the label?
• Crisis Response: You have a consumer complaint of poisoning. Is there a clear action plan: who is responsible for communicating with the media, how quickly the batch is blocked and recalled, who communicates with retail chains?
4. Risks Related to Leadership and Context:
• Strategic Risks: Your competitor has received FSSC 22000 certification and can now supply products to a large international chain, but you cannot. This is a direct risk of losing market share. • Management engagement: The director views safety as a "quality department problem" and regularly refuses budgets for training or modernization. ISO 22000 makes senior management personally accountable for the system's effectiveness.
The most important thing to understand is that ISO 22000 does not replace HACCP, but rather integrates it into a comprehensive, all-encompassing management structure for the entire enterprise. It takes your powerful engine (HACCP) and builds a reliable vehicle around it.
Transitioning from simply implementing HACCP to ISO 22000 certification is not chasing yet another document. It is a qualitative leap in your business management philosophy.
It is a decision to transform food safety from the responsibility of the quality department into a shared responsibility and value for the entire company. It is a way to build not just a control system, but a safety culture where every employee understands their role and the importance of their actions.
Want to discuss the path to ISO 22000 and audit requirements? Contact us!