Launch of Global Standard for Hygiene and Food Safety
As the global food supply chain becomes ever more complex, food safety becomes correspondingly more difficult to maintain. For instance, an average meal can contain ingredients sourced from five countries all with different hygiene standards. Accurate figures for food borne diseases are hard to come by but it is generally acknowledged that they are on the increase.
Currently, corporate managers with responsibility for hygiene and food safety across the world are grappling with over 800 different standards and guidelines contained in something like 27,000 local, national and international documents. On the horizon is a global standard which will enable companies to replace a piecemeal approach with a single, integrated process which can be incorporated into other enterprise-wide management systems. The result of a major industry initiative between Unilever subsidiary, DiverseyLever Consulting and SGS, the world's largest independent organisation in the field of inspection and verification, the global standard will end the fragmentation which bedevils management of this vital area of consumer and brand protection.
As of now the 27,000 plus documents drawn from no less than 52 countries have been assembled via the international network of SGS and together they comprise the largest database of this kind anywhere in the world. These have undergone extensive analysis by SGS specialists and what is being called the 'Hygieneomic Supra Standard', is now at final draft stages. Its purpose is to set a top level standard which embraces all industries in which hygiene and food safety is a critical factor.
This global Hygieneomic standard will be translated into sector-specific guidelines for food services, food manufacture, catering, hotels restaurants and institutions. During the development stage consultation with and comment from external organisations are being sought to ensure that they meet all industry requirements.
The establishment and full benefits of this new Hygieneomic standard to industry will be examined at Hygieneomics 99 in Helsinki, May 10th-12th 1999. (See end of this release.)
The DiverseyLever drive to create a global standard has been led by Dr Graeme Armstrong, Senior Vice President, Research and Development. "Our sole aim both with this initiative for a global standard and in pioneering the integrated Hygieneomic approach itself, has been to provide our clients and their customers with peace of mind," he comments. "Top management throughout the world faces a confusing maze of regulations and standards related to hygiene and food safety. The challenge has been to formulate one standard which ultimately means that if a hotel or fast food operator or food processor is setting up in Helsinki or Harare, they will know the same high standards of hygiene and food safety apply. The value of this in terms of reducing the risk of food incidents and building consumer confidence in brand reputation is considerable."
"The Hygieneomic management discipline will form a new management discipline which takes a much more proactive approach to improving hygiene and food safety. It aims to cut through the complexity of overlapping processes to provide businesses with a fully integrated approach which can be measured and compared."
To support corporate managers in implementing a Hygieneomic management system, DiverseyLever has established a consultancy unit, DiverseyLever Consulting, which provides its services in association with SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance, the world's largest independent testing, inspection and certification organisation), Checkmate International (the UK's market-leading hygiene and food safety consultancy), Zurich Financial Services (a global leader in the financial services industry and a specialist in risk engineering) and Merck KGaA (hygiene monitoring and diagnostics). The alliance also draws on Unilever's global resources, expertise and R&D capabilities.
A governing body comprising world-renowned representatives from industry sectors, trade associations and research institutes is being assembled to police the global standard and it is envisaged that it will be ready to award certificates by the end of this year.
"The beauty of the global standard," says John Henderson, Corporate Director of SGS International Certification Services Ltd, "is its simplicity. After implementation, in principal, only one audit will be required. The global standard will integrate with all other internationally recognised management systems such as ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 which a company might choose to have in place. Our customers have long perceived the advantages a single standard would give them and now they have one."
In setting the global standard, the highest technical levels have been set in order to impose the most stringent management system. "In all cases," adds John Henderson, "we have had to transcend industry boundaries to provide globally accepted requirements."
Hygieneomics 99 -the first global business forum for senior corporate managers on hygiene and food safety, is to be held in Helsinki from 10th - 12th May. As part of the proceedings there will be opportunities for delegates to contribute to the continuing evolution of the global standard and to the industry guidelines. Overall, the forum aims to give a lead to those concerned with the protection of consumers and brands and it should be a priority for senior management and those responsible for hygiene and food safety at board level.
For more information on Hygieneomics 99 see website:
Hygieneomic is a trademark
DiverseyLever is one of the world's leading commercial cleaning and hygiene specialists. It is an autonomous business group within Unilever.
DiverseyLever operates in more than 100 countries and employs approximately 13,000 people. The bulk of the company's business derives from customers in industries which include, restaurants and hotels, quick service establishments, factories, hospitals, schools, laundries, dairies, breweries, food processors, pharmaceutical manufacturers and beverage producers. Skilled consultants offer advice and recommendations based on years of experience in the field and a detailed knowledge of each customer's operations. Dedicated to a holistic approach to hygiene and food safety, they bring to each project all their expertise in legislative and regulatory issues, customer requirements and environmental care.
On 13th January the company announced it was starting a new business, DiverseyLever Consulting. The new company offers consumer and brand protection through integrated management systems.