Food safety certification is a third-party verification that products, processes or systems in the food supply chain meet accepted food safety standards. It is distinct from other systems of proof of conformity such as supplier declarations, laboratory test reports or inspection body reports. Food safety certification is based on the results of tests, inspections and audits and gives confidence to the consumer because an organization’s products and/or system are being thoroughly evaluated against accepted national and international industry standards by a competent third body.
Product certification attests that a food product complies with the safety, fitness for use and/or interchangeability characteristics defined in standards, and in specifications supplementary to standards, where they are requested by the market.
Organizational certification demonstrates that, for example, a food manufacturer’s quality, environmental or other management system has conformed to the relevant management system standards. Standards for management systems apply to the processes that an organization employs to make its products or deliver its services rather than to the actual products or services themselves.
When there are no legal requirements for a food sector business to conform to standards, food safety certification is voluntary. In these cases, a company may have its own reasons for seeking certification of conformity to a given standard, such as an internal product requirement, or the desire to gain a strategic advantage in the marketplace since food safety certification can represent a sign of food quality and safety to consumers.
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