Defines requirements and guidelines for the design, implementation, and documentation of prerequisite programmes (PRPs) that maintain a hygienic environment and assist in controlling food safety hazards in the food chain.

This part of ISO22002 specifies requirements and guidelines for the design, implementation, and documentation of prerequisite programmes (PRPs) that maintain a hygienic environment and assist in controlling food safety hazards in the food chain.

NOTE1 The last paragraph of the introduction provides information for a correct understanding of the normative or guidance character of the subclauses within Clauses5, 6 and 7 of this part of ISO22002.

This part of ISO22002 is applicable to all organizations (including individual farms or groups of farms), regardless of size or complexity, which are involved in farming steps of the food chain and wish to implement PRPs in accordance with ISO22000:2005, 7.2. If an organization is using this part of ISO22002 as a reference for the purpose of making a self-declaration of conformity with or seeking certification to ISO22000:2005, deviations therefrom (i.e. where exclusions are made or alternative measures are implemented) need to be justified and documented. It is expected that such deviations will not affect the ability of the organization to comply with the requirements of ISO22000.

This part of ISO22002 is applicable to the farming of crops (e.g. cereals, fruits, vegetables), living farm animals (e.g. cattle, poultry, pigs, fish) and the handling of their products (e.g. milk, eggs). It is not applicable to activities such as picking of wild fruits, vegetables and mushrooms, fishing, hunting, which are not considered as organized farming activities.

All operations related to farming are included in the scope (e.g. sorting, cleaning, packing of unprocessed products, on-farm feed manufacturing, transport within the farm). However, this part of ISO22002 is not applicable to processing activities carried out on farm premises (e.g. heating, smoking, curing, maturing, fermenting, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion or a combination of those processes). Neither is this part of ISO22002 applicable to products or animals that are being transported to or from the farm.

NOTE2 Guidance on PRPs for operations further down the food chain will be covered, if necessary, by other parts of ISO22002, as is done by ISO/TS22002-1 for manufacturing.

Farming operations are diverse in nature according to size, type of products, production methods, geographical and biological environment, related statutory and regulatory requirements etc. Therefore, the need, intensity and nature of PRPs will differ between organizations. Established PRPs can also change as the result of the review procedures stated in ISO22000:2005, 8.2. This part of ISO22002 focuses on the requirements for the management of PRPs, while the design of the exact PRPs is left to the user. The management of PRPs includes assessment of the need, selection of measures that meet the identified needs and required records. The specific examples of PRPs listed in this part of ISO22002 are intended for guidance only, and are aimed for application with due regard to the overall objective of producing food which is safe and suitable for consumption.

It is possible for this part of ISO22002 to be applied by other organizations willing to develop codes of practice and other types of supplier-buyer relationship based on ISO22000.