HACCP, IFS, BRC, ISO 22000 – What Do They Actually Require From Your IT Systems?

When a food company needs to get certified or go through an audit, many discover that the requirements are, in practice, less about the production itself and more about whether they can document it. The certifications place demands on data and processes - and that’s where your systems come into play.

A brief overview of the key certifications

HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) is the fundamental method for identifying and managing risks in food production. It’s not a certification in itself, but the foundation for most of the other standards.

IFS (International Featured Standards) and BRC (British Retail Consortium) are both certifications often required by large retail chains before they’ll trade with a supplier. They place demands on quality management, traceability and documentation.

ISO 22000 is an international standard for food safety management that combines HACCP principles with a broader management system.

What they all have in common is that they require systematic documentation of how you manage risks - not just that you do so.

The documentation requirements that keep recurring

Regardless of which standard you work to, a number of requirements come up again and again:

• Traceability: Can you document where raw materials come from, and where finished products end up?
• Self-inspection: Are control measurements (temperature, hygiene, critical control points) recorded systematically - and not just on paper in a folder?
• Deviation handling: What happens when a check fails? Is there a documented process for responding, and is it followed?
• Supplier approval: Can you show that your suppliers have been assessed and approved according to fixed criteria?

How an ERP system automates documentation

Many companies find that the biggest burden of certification isn’t the production itself, but the time spent gathering documentation ahead of an audit. An ERP system that has self-inspection and quality data built in as part of the daily workflows means that documentation arises automatically - instead of being a separate task the quality department has to remember to carry out.

This applies, for example, to automatic logging of temperature measurements, digital recording of self-inspections directly on the production floor, and systems that flag deviations immediately instead of them being discovered at the next manual review.

What happens if the requirements aren’t met?

The consequences range from minor findings at an audit to loss of certification - which for many companies means losing access to key customers and markets. In the worst case, inadequate documentation can unnecessarily prolong a recall, because you can’t quickly determine the scope of the problem.

Self-check: 5 questions before your next audit

1. Can you produce self-inspection data for the past 12 months without having to search for it across multiple systems?
2. Are your critical control points (CCPs) documented digitally, or still on paper?
3. Can you show a complete audit trail for a random batch - from raw material to finished product?
4. Do you have a documented process for deviations, and is it actually followed in practice?
5. How long would it take you to gather the necessary documentation if the auditor called tomorrow?

If the answers give you cause for concern, it’s worth investigating whether your current systems genuinely support the certification requirements - or whether the documentation still depends on manual work.