ISO food standards create confidence in the products we eat and drink ISO food standards provide benefits for all participants in the supply chain, from farm to transportation and logistics, from manufacturing to retailing and services, from consumers to regulators and analytical laboratories ISO brings all stakeholders on board to share best practice, promote state-of-the-art technology, and ensure safety and quality.
Global standards for global supply chains Meeting the demands of a rapidly growing world population requires International Standards to promote the quality and safety of food, as well as the efficiency of the food supply chain, so that we make the best of our resources in a sustainable way. ISO – what it is, what it achieves ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards providing benefits for business, government and society. ISO is a network comprising the national standards institutes. ISO standards make a positive contribution to the world we live in. They ensure vital features such as quality, ecology, safety, reliability, compatibility, interoperability, efficiency and effectiveness – and at an economical cost. They facilitate trade, spread knowledge, and share technological advances and good management practices.
Why ISO standards for food?
Today more than ever, food products regularly cross national boundaries at every stage of the supply chain, from farm to fork. ISO International Standards create confidence in the products we eat or drink by ensuring the world uses the same recipe when it comes to food quality, safety and efficiency. ISO provides a platform for developing practical tools through common understanding and cooperation with all stakeholders on board, from agricultural producers, to food manufacturers, laboratories, regulators, consumers, etc.
Working through its network of national members, its standards bring together the foremost expertise in the world and disseminate it to both developed and developing countries. ISO standards are powerful tools for taking action on global challenges like sustainability and climate change by for example, disseminating best practice on new technologies less detrimental to the environment. By implementing voluntary ISO standards, companies make a proactive commitment to the principles they stand for: quality, transparency, accountability and safety.
Who benefits from ISO standards ?
Industry : Farmers, manufacturers, retailers and service providers benefit from not having to comply with multiple specifications and requirements for different markets. ISO standards make industry more competitive and promote global trade. They disseminate best practice and innovations so that industry does not need to reinvent the wheel, while at the same time facilitating market access to the latest technologies. Regulators : Regulators can rely on trusted internationally harmonized solutions, which are continually reviewed and improved, as a technical basis for market-friendly regulations that meet the expectations of citizens.
Consumers: ISO standards ensure the safety and quality of products to protect consumers worldwide. They address issues of concern to consumers such as nutritional value, labeling and declaration, taste, hygiene, genetically modified organisms, limits on additives, pesticides, contaminants, and so on.
What ISO standards for food ?
From agricultural machinery to logistics, from transportation to manufacturing, from quality and safety to management and traceability, from labeling and packaging to storage – ISO standards cover every step of the food and feed supply chain.
