G 2408 Accreditation Criteria For Inspection of Food Inspection Bodies
G 2408 Accreditation Criteria For Inspection of Food Inspection Bodies
G 2408 Accreditation Criteria For Inspection of Food Inspection Bodies
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 This document has been produced by the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) in
conjunction with the PNAC Sectoral Committee for Inspection Bodies. It provides guidance
to those requirements in ISO/IEC 17020 and Agreement between PNAC & IBs (F-01/13)
that need interpretation when applied by Inspection Bodies carrying out Food Inspections. It
does not cover all of the requirements of ISO/IEC 17020-General criteria for the operation of
various types of bodies performing inspection and Agreement between PNAC & IBs (F-
01/13). Inspection Bodies are reminded of the need to comply with all of the requirements in
these documents. Appeals concerning interpretation will be considered in accordance with
the PNAC Appeals Procedure. Other PNAC documents may be referred to where relevant.
1.2 For the purposes of this document the term ‘inspection body’ shall be taken to mean an
accredited inspection body.
2 Definitions
2.1 Inspection & inspection body are defined in the standard. Clarification is given below on
other terms, some of which have gained common usage in the food industry; Care should be
taken in standards, policies and procedures to ensure clarity of meaning.
2.1.1 Accreditation
Procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that another body or
person is competent to carry out specific tasks. PNAC is a autonomous body working under
the Ministry of science & technology Government of Pakistan as the sole body responsible
for providing accreditation of inspection bodies in accordance with ISO/IEC 17020.
2.1.2 Audit
Used in the food industry to mean inspection of a process and the process controls; see also
‘internal quality audit’. (‘Quality audit’ has a more specific meaning within the ISO 9000
series of standards).
2.1.3 Client
In the context of ISO/IEC 17020, the client is the party that commissions work from the
inspection body.
2.1.4 Consultancy
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2.1.5.1 Field
Field of inspection will be the specific area of the food chain. Sub-divisions are indicated in
Annex 1.
2.1.5.2 Type
Type of inspection will be either for Statutory Enforcement or Inspections for purposes other
than statutory enforcement.
2.1.5.3 Range
Range of inspection may specify one of a number of criteria, for example food safety, food
standards, food quality and so on. Further examples are given in Annex 1.
they are not used to justify a reduction in duration of the eventual inspection.
e. Performing inspections according to standards or regulations other than those being
part of the scope of accreditation.
f. Adding value during inspection visits, for example by identifying opportunities for
improvement as they become evident during inspection, but without recommending
specific solutions.
4.2 Inspection must remain, and be seen to remain, impartial. Consultancy by a related body
must never be marketed together with inspection services and there should be no indication
in marketing material (written or oral) to give the impression that the two are linked. It is
the duty of the inspection body to ensure that no client is given the impression that the use
of both consultancy and inspection services would confer an advantage. There should be no
suggestion by an inspection body that a successful inspection outcome would be cheaper or
facilitated by the use of any specified consultancy or training services.
4.3 The above deals with possible compromise of impartiality by other activities of the
inspection body or a related body. In some circumstances the activities of personnel may
cause a similar conflict. Two situations in particular are considered. Firstly, the personnel
of the inspection body may not necessarily be full-time personnel; their other employment
shall not be such as to compromise their impartiality. Secondly, full time employees who
have recently joined an inspection body may have a potential conflict of interest as a result
of previous employment. In either case, an individual should not perform an accredited
inspection on a business where such a conflict may exist, within a period of at least 2 years.
4.3 In both cases, the following three elements shall be included in the inspection body’s
procedures so that impartiality may properly be assessed by both the inspection body and
PNAC:
a. Job descriptions for the actual inspection role detailing the nature of the task.
b. A declaration of inspector interests detailing all other interests that may impact on their
impartiality.
c. A procedure whereby a client has prior notification of the identity of an inspector and is
given an opportunity to identify any possible conflict of interest.
4.4 The inspection body has a responsibility to identify and evaluate such situations and assign
responsibilities and tasks so as to ensure that impartiality is not compromised.
4.5 Inspection bodies carrying out food inspection may be accredited as Type A, B or C bodies,
provided they meet the necessary requirements.
4.6 Type A bodies shall be independent third parties engaged in inspection only. Bodies also
involved in consultancy are unlikely to meet all the independence criteria in A.1 of annex
A of ISO/IEC 17020.
5 Organisation and Management (clause 6, ISO/IEC 17020)
5.1 The role of the technical manager is to oversee the technical content and competence of the
inspections and to ensure that PNAC requirements are met. The technical manager shall be
a permanent member of staff and will normally be different from the person responsible for
quality assurance indicated in ISO/IEC 17020, sub-clause 7.4, although the extent to which
different staff members can hold several functions can vary with the size of the organisation.
The position of technical manager in the organisation, however named, shall be shown
clearly in the organisation chart.
5.2 The inspection body shall be able to demonstrate that the work of staff performing
inspections is properly supervised by a person familiar with the inspection methods and
procedures and the scope and objectives of the inspection. The level of supervision shall be
commensurate with the skills and experience of the inspector. Supervision shall also include
regular review of inspection reports to ensure that work has been carried out in accordance
with the client’s requirements and the Inspection body’s procedures.
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shall apply the specific requirements of the inspection standard and not superimpose
requirements from clause 9.
9 Inspection methods and procedures (clause 10, ISO/IEC 17020)
9.1 The inspection body shall ensure that inspection methods to be used are documented and
consistent with the scope of the inspection. Where inspection is carried out to determine
legal compliance, procedures shall have regard for all the requirements of the relevant
Regulations.
9.2 The inspection frequency shall be properly planned to achieve an efficient inspection
process. The frequency should be related to ‘risk’ in all its aspects, including the inherent
risks of the product or process and the past record of the business. The criteria for planning
inspection frequency shall be documented.
9.3 The inspection body shall have detailed inspection criteria which are documented and
validated especially when published methods are not used.
9.4 The scope of inspections shall be clearly defined with respect to field, type and range of
inspection (see Annex 1).
10 Records (clause 12, ISO/IEC 17020)
10.1 Procedures shall define the records to be kept and the form in which they are to be kept.
The period of retention of documents by the inspection body shall be defined; for
inspection and complaint records at least 5 years would normally be appropriate and 3 - 5
years for quality system records.
11 Inspection reports and inspection certificates (clause 13, ISO/IEC 17020)
11.1 Certain elements of the inspection report are mandatory as outlined in EA-5/01. The
scope of the inspection shall be included in the inspection report in order to allow proper
understanding and interpretation. Inspection bodies should have procedures to ensure that
inspection reports are delivered to the client in accordance with contractual requirements.
12 Sub-contracting (clause 14, ISO/IEC 17020)
12.1 Work shall only be sub-contracted in exceptional cases, for example sickness or
temporary overload. Accreditation is only granted to a body that demonstrably has the
staff and the expertise to carry out the normal functions for which accreditation is sought
(see also ISO/IEC 17020, sub-clause 8.1).
12.2 When sub-contractors have to be used the inspection body shall sub-contract to another
body accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 by PNAC or accreditation body recognized by PNAC.
When laboratory testing forms part of the inspection, the laboratory shall be accredited
against ISO/IEC 17025 by PNAC or accreditation body recognized by PNAC.
13. REFERENCES
ISO/IEC 17020, General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of Bodies
Performing Inspection
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Annex 1
FIELDS, RANGES, AND TYPES OF INSPECTION
Fields of inspection
Six broad areas of inspection have been identified. Food Processing has been categorized into
six fields, as listed below. Organisations applying for accreditation or extensions of scope
should use these fields in their applications:
Food Processing
1. Raw Meat & Fish
i. Red Meat, Slaughter & cutting
ii. Poultry Meat, Slaughter & cutting
iii. Fish, Chilled and frozen
iv. Raw meat products and preparations
v. Raw fish products and preparations
2. Produce (Fruit & Vegetables)
i. Fresh & frozen
3. Dairy
i. Chilled and frozen
ii. Egg
4. Ready to eat or heat (chilled & frozen), including cooked meat/cooked fish products
5. Ambient stable, heat preserved, hermetically sealed packs
6. Ambient Stable Foods (Other)
i. Beverages
ii. Bakery products ~ ambient
iii. Dried foods
iv. Confectionery
v. Snacks and breakfast cereals
vi. Oils & fats
vii. Food ingredients
Other areas of inspection are listed below; they will be divided into fields as necessary:
• Animal feeds
• Farm
• Wholesale/Distribution Retail stores
• Catering premises
Ranges of inspection
Ranges of inspection will describe the technical issues covered by the inspection:
Types of Inspection
• Statutory enforcement
• Non-statutory
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Annex 2
It is essential that training courses are recognized by the industry (and its stakeholders) as
being appropriate and relevant. For example, approval or certification by an independent
body with the relevant expertise can provide some assurance that a course meets specified
criteria.
Experience
The inspector shall have a minimum of five years post-graduate experience related to the
food industry. This shall involve work in Quality Assurance or food safety functions within
manufacture, retailing, inspection or enforcement.
Inspection bodies shall be able to demonstrate that every inspector has appropriate training
and experience for the particular fields, types and ranges for which they are considered
competent. Inspector competence shall be recorded (ISO/IEC 17020, clause 8.4) at least at
the level of each field of inspection and its first sub-division as indicated in Annex 1.
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