Key takeaways
  • ISO 22000 combines a management system framework with HACCP principles and prerequisite programmes.
  • The distinction between a CCP and an OPRP is the concept people find hardest and auditors probe most.
  • It is not by itself a GFSI-recognised scheme; FSSC 22000 adds sector-specific prerequisites to achieve that recognition.
CCP or OPRP?
Measurability and the consequence of failure

A CCP has a measurable critical limit and a loss of control means the product is unsafe. An OPRP controls a significant hazard but the measurement is often observational and a single lapse does not automatically render the product unsafe. Getting this wrong produces either an unmanageable number of CCPs or a plan that misses a real control point.

The three layers of control

  • Prerequisite programmes. Basic conditions: cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene, maintenance, water quality, waste handling.
  • Operational prerequisite programmes. Controls for significant hazards where a critical limit is not practical, verified by observation and records.
  • Critical control points. Steps with measurable critical limits, continuous or scheduled monitoring, and defined corrections and corrective actions.

Hazard analysis

Analyse biological, chemical, physical and allergen hazards at each step. Assess significance from severity and likelihood, then decide which layer of control applies. The reasoning must be recorded, because the plan is judged on its justification as much as its conclusions.

Validation, monitoring, verification

  • Validation. Evidence that the control is capable of achieving the intended effect, obtained before implementation.
  • Monitoring. Checking in real time that the control is operating, at a defined frequency by a defined person.
  • Verification. Confirming after the fact that the system is working: record review, testing, internal audit.

These three are routinely conflated. Validating a cook step means demonstrating the time and temperature achieves the required reduction. Monitoring is recording the temperature each batch. Verification is reviewing those records and calibrating the probe.

Traceability and recall

Traceability must work in both directions, from supplier to product and from product to customer, and the system must be tested. A mock recall with a stated time target and a recorded outcome is the expected evidence, and the usual finding is that the test was never completed to the point of reconciling quantities.

ISO 22000, FSSC 22000 and the retailers

ISO 22000 certification alone is often not enough for major retail customers, who require a GFSI-recognised scheme. FSSC 22000 combines ISO 22000 with sector-specific prerequisite specifications and additional requirements to meet that bar.