Page 15 - Getting Started
P. 15
Chapter 2
Certification Process
Food safety system standards include the
requirements (rules) companies must meet in order
to become certified and maintain certification.
Standards also provide proven tools that can help
companies more efficiently and effectively manage
their entire business.
The certification process starts with the proposal
(or quote) between a business and one or more
certification bodies. There are very clear guidelines
that certification bodies must follow when preparing
a quote for an audit. They must take into
consideration key factors that influence the time
needed to perform an effective audit. Examples of
the key factors include:
• Standard(s) for which certification will be issued
(i.e.: SQF, FSSC 22000, BRCGS)
• Total number of employees at the company
(including full-time, part-time and temporary)
• Number of facilities/locations and their activities
• Categories of products
• Scope of registration
• Number of HACCP studies (HACCP Plans,
Food Safety Plans)
• Size of facility
• Risk level of process(es)
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