What is Importance of Certification.

The globalization of the world’s food supply has made food safety a critical issue. Customers want to ensure that the food they purchase is safe and wholesome. Subsequently, buyers demand guarantees or certificates that their suppliers can meet this customer demand. Some buyers require that the suppliers receive HACCP and GMP audits. Certain certification bodies developed audit schemes using Codex HACCP and good hygiene practices. The Codex document is an excellent guidance document, but it was not written in auditable form. Private firms have developed their own food safety, quality and sanitation audits, which include a HACCP component. These audits include SQF 2000 (Safe Quality Food), which is managed by the Food Marketing Institute, the Dutch HACCP Standard, the BRC or British Retail Consortium and IFS (International Food Standard) by the Federal Union of German Trade Associations. All of these standards are auditable. Auditors evaluate processing facilities and issue certificates of compliance with the standards. However, in 2001, there was not a truly auditable international standard.