A Practical, Optimised Guide to ISO 22000 Implementation with AvISO and ISOvA

(Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation)

What Clause 4 Covers
Organisations must:
• Identify internal and external issues that affect food safety
• Understand needs and expectations of stakeholders, including regulators and customers
• Define the FSMS scope
• Map key processes, food safety hazards, and operational risks

How to
• Document the food safety regulatory landscape relevant to your operations
• Identify critical services, facilities, and food safety-sensitive processes
• Outline relationships with suppliers, service providers, and regulators
• Create a scope statement covering all products, services, and operational boundaries

Example
A food processing company defines its FSMS scope to include receiving, storing, and processing of nuts at its primary facility, excluding external distribution partners.

Risks if Overlooked
• Failure to account for all food safety-sensitive processes
• Scope exclusions challenged by auditors or customers
• Weak understanding of regulatory or supply chain exposures

How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Context workshops and regulatory requirement identification
• Stakeholder mapping tools in ISOvA
• Templates for scoping and context documentation

(Clause 5 – Leadership)

What Clause 5 Covers
Organisations must:
• Show leadership commitment to food safety
• Create and communicate a food safety policy
• Define roles and responsibilities for FSMS implementation and maintenance

How to
• Publish a food safety policy signed by top management
• Appoint a Food Safety Team Leader or FSMS Manager
• Assign responsibilities across procurement, production, cleaning, and distribution
• Promote a food safety culture throughout the organisation

Example
A catering firm appoints its Head of Operations as FSMS lead, ensuring every kitchen manager is responsible for allergen control and hygiene checks.

Risks if Overlooked
• No accountability for key food safety procedures
• Staff unsure of who to contact during incidents
• Weak leadership focus on continuous improvement

How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Policy drafting support and leadership engagement sessions
• Role and responsibility mapping in ISOvA
• Structured communications planning and leadership KPI tracking

(Clause 6 – Planning)

What Clause 6 Covers
Organisations must:
• Address food safety risks and opportunities
• Identify and evaluate hazards
• Define measurable food safety objectives and plans to achieve them

How to
• Conduct a hazard analysis across all inputs, processes, and outputs
• Use prerequisite programmes (PRPs), operational PRPs (OPRPs), and critical control points (CCPs)
• Define SMART objectives for food safety performance
• Create an action plan with clear owners and deadlines

Example
A juice manufacturer sets an objective to reduce the presence of fruit fly contamination during intake by upgrading air curtains and revising cleaning protocols.

Risks if Overlooked
• Critical hazards missed due to inadequate analysis
• No evidence of improvement over time
• Loss of certification or market access due to unaddressed risks

How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Food safety risk assessment templates and support
• Objective tracking, hazard logging, and plan visibility in ISOvA
• Integration with ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 where applicable

(Clause 7 – Support)

What Clause 7 Covers
Organisations must:
• Ensure sufficient competence, training, and awareness
• Provide infrastructure and resources for food safety
• Control documentation and maintain records

How to
• Develop a training matrix for all food safety roles
• Conduct training on hygiene, allergen control, and contamination risks
• Manage documented procedures for cleaning, inspections, and traceability
• Keep up-to-date records for audits and incident response

Example
A bakery trains its night shift team on cross-contamination risks when handling gluten-free and standard products, updating SOPs to reflect changes.

Risks if Overlooked
• Poor hygiene practices due to knowledge gaps
• Lost or incomplete records at audit
• Outdated documents still used in operations

How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Bespoke food safety training sessions and record-keeping advice
• Controlled documentation and version history tools in ISOvA
• Central training dashboards for audit readiness

(Clause 8 – Operation)

What Clause 8 Covers
Organisations must:
• Plan, implement, and control food safety processes
• Establish and maintain hazard control plans (HACCP)
• Manage outsourced processes and supplier controls

How to
• Develop and validate a HACCP plan for all products or processes
• Define monitoring, corrective actions, and verification activities
• Control supplier performance and incoming goods inspections
• Plan for emergency situations such as recalls or contamination

Example
A frozen foods manufacturer implements OPRPs for cold chain monitoring and CCPs for pathogen control during cooking.

Risks if Overlooked
• Failure to identify or control critical hazards
• Ineffective monitoring of food safety limits
• Non-conformances that lead to food safety incidents

How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• HACCP planning support and supplier audit tools
• Food safety process mapping and non-conformance tracking in ISOvA
• Tools for withdrawal simulation and traceability logging

(Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation)

What Clause 9 Covers
Organisations must:
• Measure FSMS effectiveness
• Conduct internal audits
• Perform regular management reviews

How to
• Define KPIs such as complaint rates, audit findings, and incident responses
• Conduct internal audits against procedures and control measures
• Hold management reviews with input from test results, objectives, and complaints

Example
A seafood distributor uses audit and recall drill results to update its training approach and supplier contracts.

Risks if Overlooked
• Declining performance without awareness
• Missed legal or certification non-conformities
• No action taken on findings or complaints

How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Audit planning and performance dashboards
• Automated audit tools and evidence storage in ISOvA
• Templates for management reviews and compliance summaries

(Clause 10 – Improvement)

What Clause 10 Covers
Organisations must:
• Respond to nonconformities
• Take corrective actions and evaluate effectiveness
• Seek continual improvement

How to
• Maintain a non-conformance log with root cause analysis
• Assign and track corrective actions
• Hold team improvement reviews to share feedback and ideas
• Promote a proactive food safety culture

Example
A packaging supplier logs customer complaints about residue on packaging, updates cleaning protocols, and reduces incidents by 80 percent within six months.

Risks if Overlooked
• Repeat food safety incidents
• Compliance slippage over time
• Low staff engagement in food safety

How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Corrective action support and improvement planning
• Continuous improvement tools in ISOvA
• Templates for food safety incident reporting and reviews