UNI EN ISO 22005

What is ISO 22005?

UNI EN ISO 22005 – Certification of the Traceability System in the Food and Feed Supply Chain is applicable to the entire supply chain or to specific sections of it, covering a wide range of sectors, from feed to meat and other food products. The purpose of this standard is to help companies document the history of a product, allowing them to trace its location and origin at any time.

In practice, tracking each production batch along the supply chain—thus ensuring its traceability—means carrying out a series of operations aimed at collecting data generated at every stage of the production process.

ISO 22005 is a voluntary standard on traceability that is widely recognized as a key requirement for demonstrating the origin of products and raw materials.

The standard is based on the ability of an organization, referred to as the Lead Partner, to establish rules that ensure quality, food safety, and traceability at every stage of the supply chain—elements that are now considered essential information for consumers. Each participant in the supply chain commits to meeting these requirements through formal agreements signed individually with the Lead Partner.

Today, one of the most valued aspects for consumers is the origin of the product. Due to the growing awareness of traceability and product safety, an increasing number of companies are choosing to certify their supply chains for both animal-based and plant-based products.

To ensure compliance, the Lead Organization assigns an independent third party to carry out verification activities along the entire supply chain.

The sectors most sensitive to this certification include the canned food industry (e.g., tomatoes), the EVO oil production chain in the vegetable sector, and the milk supply chain in the animal-based sector. Additionally, ISO 22005 certification plays a crucial role in ensuring consumer safety and protecting against potential food fraud, particularly those related to product origin.

Key Points

The design of a traceability system must necessarily define the following aspects:

• Objectives of the traceability system
• Regulations and documents applicable to the traceability system
• Products and ingredients subject to traceability
• Position of each organization in the food chain, including identification of suppliers and customers
• Material flows
• Information to be managed
• Procedures
• Supply chain management methods

Advantages

An organization can derive numerous benefits from obtaining ISO 22005 certification for its Food and Feed Chain Traceability System, including:

• Supporting the system implemented by the company to ensure compliance with product quality and hygiene requirements
• Responding to explicit consumer requests
• Defining the history and origin of the product
• Facilitating product withdrawals or recalls when necessary
• Identifying the responsibilities of each operator in the supply chain
• Simplifying the control and verification of specific information related to agri-food products
• Communicating relevant information to key stakeholders and consumers
• Ensuring compliance with local, national, or international regulatory requirements
• Improving organizational performance, productivity, and profitability