The world population is growing rapidly and many food products repeatedly cross-national boundaries to meet our rising demand for food.

International standards help to address this challenge in a safe and sustainable way through guidance and best practices in food production methods and testing; to promote safety, quality, and efficiency across the entire food industry.

All players in the food supply chain, be they farmers, manufacturers, or retailers, can benefit from the guidelines and best practices contained in ISO standards, which range from food harvesting to product packaging. In addition, internationally agreed standards help food producers meet legal and regulatory requirements.

Standards address issues relevant to consumers such as food safety, nutritional labelling, hygiene, food additives, and more. They give consumers the peace of mind that comes with knowing the food they consume meets high standards for safety and quality and contains what it says on the tin.

What are the benefits of standards to your food business?

The fundamental point of a standard is to provide a reliable basis for people to share the same expectations about a product or service. Implementing them can provide huge benefits to food businesses including:

• Gain a competitive advantage – by reassuring consumers that you conform to globally-established standards, in areas from machinery safety and food transport to packaging and food fraud.

• Protect your bottom line – with standards on broader issues such as health and safety, cyber threat, and the environment, helping you to put best-practice policies in place and keep your business safe.

• Be ready for the future – with access to standards that lead the way in allergens, plastics, authenticity, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility.

• Trade internationally – implementing internationally-recognized standards provides a passport to trade across national boundaries.

• Reduce technical barriers – with standards that give you, your stakeholders, and your customers the confidence that products or services will meet technical criteria.

• Embed excellence in your company – by using standards from the world’s oldest standards body BSI, trusted by organizations across the world to drive quality and performance.

Download our infographic on key standards for agriculture.

The Building Blocks of a Successful Food Business

The following standards provide essential guidance throughout the food supply chain:

• BS EN ISO 22000 Food safety management systems - Used by organizations across the food chain to help deliver food that’s safe to eat, this standard provides an excellent framework to help implement a food safety management system (FSMS).

• BS EN ISO 9001 Quality management systems – this standard will help you to continually monitor and manage quality across your business so you can identify areas for improvement. Internationally, it is the quality system of choice. Integrating this standard with the BS EN ISO 22000 series offers additional benefits to food businesses, introducing a culture of continual improvement.

• PD ISO/TS 22003 Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of food safety management systems - this standard defines the rules applicable for FSMS audit and certification. Developed for use by the certification bodies who audit food safety management systems, its use further ensures that the food consumers enjoy is safe.

• BS EN ISO 22005 Traceability in the feed and food chain - this standard establishes principles and requirements for the design and implementation of a food traceability system. This helps maintain visibility during food manufacturing, processing, distribution, and handling–from production to consumption. Such a system also aids product recall or withdrawal processes.

• BS ISO 28000 Security management systems. Requirements - this standard specifies the requirements for a security management system to ensure safety across the chain. You can use BS ISO 28000 to build pre-planned risk responses to help mitigate the impact of certain scenarios should they arise improving the resilience of your supply chain.

• PAS 96 Guide to protecting and defending food and drink from deliberate attack - this specification provides practical guidance on how to avoid and mitigate threats using a risk management methodology known as Threat Assessment Critical Control Points (TACCP). It further demonstrates a solid commitment to food safety, strengthening your brand’s integrity and increasing customer loyalty.

• BS EN ISO 14001 Environmental management systems – this standard provides guidance on how to consider multiple aspects of your business procurement, storage, distribution, product development, manufacturing, etc.- so that it reduces its impact on the environment. It also drives you to evaluate how you manage emergency response, customer expectations, stakeholders, and your relationships with your local community.

• BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 Information security management systems - You simply can’t be too careful when it comes to information security, especially as supply chains continue to become more digital. Protecting personal records and commercially sensitive information is critical. This standard is an excellent framework that helps organizations manage and protect their information assets so that they remain safe and secure. It helps you to continually review and refine the way you do this, not only for today but also for the future.

• BS 65000 Organizational resilience - This standard defines organizational resilience as the ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond and adapt to events – both sudden shocks and gradual change, which is vital for food supply chains. This standard helps food organizations be adaptable, competitive, agile, and robust.

Experience the benefits of standards for yourself, by adding these standards to your collection today.

Discover BSI Knowledge

There is no doubt that using standards can ensure the quality of your food products, building crucial trust between you and the rest of your supply chain. With a BSI Knowledge subscription, food safety management is at your fingertips with instant access to over 2,000 best practice documents related to the food industry - all in one place. It puts the control in your hands, with traceability to monitor and demonstrate your business's access to standards, and self-serve functionality that enables you to manage your subscriptions, standards, users, and content quickly and simply. Request to learn more.