Is ISO 22000 certified equipment worth purchasing?
The certification was introduced by the International Organization Standardization (ISO) and was quickly emerged as one of the most significant global F&B quality standards for assuring quality and transparency. But how far should ISO 22000 certification spread within the F&B industry?
At Atlas Copco, we believe that because ISO 22000 certification is important for our F&B customers, it is important for us. That’s why we recently became the first compressor manufacturer to be awarded ISO 22000 certification for our Oil-free Air Division’s production facility in Antwerp, Belgium.
Under ISO certification, we do not only supply oil-free air compressors but a wide range of blowers, dryers, and other air treatment products. Mainly, compressors are vital for countless applications in the F&B production process. Sorting and ejecting, mixing, aerating substances, and inflating or stuffing products are just a few examples of the interactions between compressed air and the food chain, highlighting why it is important for manufacturers to become certified.
This certification gives our customers in the Food & Beverage industry extra confidence that they are working with a supplier who works in compliance with international standards, which assures quality, safety, and reliability.
The Benefits:
Why Atlas Copco became certified?
Even though compressed air is essential in the F&B industry, Atlas Copco was the first compressor manufacturer to take the initiative to look into ISO 22000 certification for its products. This required an investment from both Atlas Copco and Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, our auditing firm, to establish a new type of procedure within the certification process. After several intensive workshops and comprehensively executed audits, it was proven that Atlas Copco’s Oil-free Air production facility in Antwerp meets all the ISO 22000 requirements. This means that the site is now certified as having systems in place that consistently provide not only oil-free Z compressors but also blowers, dryers, filters, and air treatment products that are safe for the F&B industry.
Does ISO 22000 describe a certain quality of food or quality of compressed air?
ISO 22000 is a quality management system, which requires proven procedures to guarantee that the product manufactured does not introduce a food safety risk. As such no limits of/or any contaminant is described in the standard. The manufacture has to demonstrate that the product or equipment, and processes applied are controlled and do not create a food safety risk.
ISO 22000: a quick overview
The comprehensive standard covers all aspects of the industry, making it easy to compare and maintain food safety standards, while ensuring traceability as food travels from the fields, through processing, to the consumer’s plate.
ISO 22000 uses the Quality Management System approach, tailored to apply to Food Safety, and incorporates the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Principles (GMP). It also encourages the harmonization of existing national and private standards into one international certification.
