Food and Forestry Standards: Define the Scope Before Choosing
Agriculture, food and forestry involve different products, processes and supply chains. A useful standards search starts with a defined question: managing a food-safety hazard, testing a product characteristic or supporting a claim about material sourcing. Food-safety management is one type of assessment ISO 22000 addresses a food-safety management system for organisations in the food chain. It provides a management framework; it should not be described as a guarantee that every individual food item is safe. Product specifications, sampling and test methods may address different questions. The method chosen should match the product, characteristic and intended use of the result. Keep those questions separate from certification of a management system. Forestry and sourcing claims need their own evidence A statement about timber origin, traceability or responsible sourcing needs evidence for that particular claim. Identify the material, supply-chain boundary and any scheme being cited. ...