ISO 22000 LI key terms

A structured set of interrelated processes and resources an organization uses to consistently produce safe food, covering policy, planning, operational control, verification, and improvement.

The process of collecting and evaluating information on biological, chemical, and physical hazards to decide which are significant for food safety and must be controlled.

A biological, chemical, or physical agent in food, or a condition of food, with the potential to cause an adverse health effect on the consumer.

Any action or activity that can prevent, eliminate, or reduce a significant food safety hazard to an acceptable level, such as heating, chilling, or metal detection.

A step in the process where a control measure is applied and essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level.

A measurable value that separates acceptability from unacceptability at a critical control point, such as a minimum temperature or maximum time.

Basic hygiene and environmental conditions and activities needed to maintain a hygienic food production environment, forming the foundation on which hazard-specific controls are built.

A control measure or combination of control measures identified by hazard analysis as essential to control the likelihood of introducing hazards or their contamination or proliferation in products or the environment.

The level of a hazard in the finished product that must not be exceeded, established from regulatory limits, customer requirements, or scientific evidence, and used to judge control adequacy.

A hazard specifically associated with food that may cause illness or injury to the consumer, requiring analysis and control within the FSMS.

A document describing the critical control points, their critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, and verification activities for controlling significant hazards in a process or product line.

A combination of the probability of occurrence of a hazard and the severity of its consequences for consumer health, used to prioritize control efforts.

A top management statement of the organization's overall intentions and direction on food safety, providing a framework for setting food safety objectives.

A measurable target set by the organization to achieve the food safety policy, such as reducing a specific hazard or complaint rate within a defined timeframe.

The person or group of people who direct and control the organization at the highest level, responsible for leadership, commitment, and providing resources for the FSMS.

The documented boundary of the food safety management system, stating which products, processes, and sites are covered and any justified exclusions.

The combination of internal and external issues, interested parties, and their relevant requirements that the organization must consider when establishing its FSMS.

A person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity related to food safety, such as customers or regulators.

The planned exchange of food safety information within the organization and with suppliers, customers, and authorities, including escalation of food safety issues.

Information required to be controlled and maintained by the organization, including procedures, records, and external documents, in whatever medium and format.

Documented information retained as evidence of results achieved or activities performed, such as monitoring logs or calibration certificates.

The planned observation or measurement of control parameters over time to determine whether control measures are operating as intended.

The process of determining a numerical value of a parameter, such as temperature or pH, using suitable equipment and methods.

The comparison of a measuring instrument against a reference standard of known accuracy to confirm it provides valid results within defined tolerances.

Action taken to eliminate the cause of a detected nonconformity or other undesirable situation and prevent its recurrence.

Action taken to eliminate a detected nonconformity or to correct an out-of-limit product, without necessarily addressing its root cause.

Failure to meet a requirement, such as a critical limit exceeded, a procedure not followed, or a product not meeting specification.

Confirmation through objective evidence that specified requirements have been fulfilled, for example by reviewing monitoring records or testing finished product.

Confirmation that control measures, when implemented as designed, are capable of achieving the intended level of hazard control before the process is put into operation.

The ability to follow the history, application, or location of a product or batch through documented links from raw material receipt to finished product distribution.

The removal of unsafe food from the market or from consumers, involving notification, retrieval, and reporting to relevant authorities and customers.

The removal of a product from the market or supply chain for reasons other than consumer health risk, such as a labeling error or quality defect.

A systematic, independent examination of the FSMS against planned arrangements and requirements to determine whether it is effectively implemented and maintained.

A top management activity that evaluates the continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness of the FSMS and decides on improvement actions and resource needs.

The recurring process of enhancing FSMS performance by identifying opportunities, setting objectives, and acting on audit findings, data trends, and management review outputs.

Planning and arrangements to respond to potential food safety incidents and emergencies, such as contamination events, power failures, or supplier failures.

An independent audit by a certification body to determine whether the organization's FSMS conforms to the standard and is effectively implemented.

An independent third-party organization that assesses and certifies management systems against a recognized standard and issues the certificate.

Formal recognition by an authoritative body that a certification body is competent to carry out specific certification activities.

The result of an audit evaluation, classified as a conforming or nonconforming observation, and recorded with supporting evidence for follow-up action.