Quality Management Systems for the Food Industry

The significance of achieving ISO 9000 series of standards accreditation (BS 5750) is of increasing importance to the food and drink industry and is an outward and visible sign to customers that the industry has a defined quality system that has been appraised and is regularly audited. ISO 9000 accreditation can be a means of reducing audit burden from a multitude of customers for a producer and can reduce the effort required by the manufacturer or distributor in auditing his own suppliers. This text describes what the standards are in the food and drink industry, how to set about them and identify both the potential benefits and limitations. It lists the approved bodies and differences in their approaches and discusses the choice of accreditors, consultants and the packages available for operating ISO 9000 systems. Finally, guidance is given on the basic format for a suitable quality system. This volume is useful for food quality control personnel, food safety officers, and managers in the food industry.