BROOKLYN'S TMI FOOD GROUP RECEIVES ISO 22000:2005 CERTIFICATION
December 7th, Brooklyn, NY-The TMI Food Group, a leading New York-based manufacturer of Asian-Fusion food products has been certified as the first Asian food manufacturer to obtain the ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management System approval by National Quality Assurance (NQA) in the United States based on standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
The standards reflect commitment of TMI Food Group to produce the highest quality products available in compliance with internationally accepted standards of excellence. According to Terry Tang, TMI CEO, "We sought this certification to continue developing a system to help guarantee the quality of our products and services. This certification provides a greatly improved level of comfort for our customers. ISO 22000:2005 certification ensures that TMI has in place a quality manufacturing system with a proven formula for producing a consistent, superior product."
"Ultimately the ISO system improves the consistency of our raw materials because we also insist on excellence from our suppliers," Mr. Tang added. "Obtaining ISO Certification was the result of a considerable amount of work and effort from everyone on the TMI team, but the results are well worth the investment. As we continue to grow, the ISO standards and processes will help us manage and deliver our products more effectively."
The process leading up to registration of the TMI Food Group started in 2006 and ended in September 2007, with a final audit by NQA Global Assurance. A multidisciplinary team of company employees was involved in the integration of ISO 22000:2005 requirements with TMI quality management systems in place. Furthermore, more than a half of all employees participated in training courses related to ISO 22000:2005, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and risk management, etc.
What is ISO 22000:2005?
ISO 22000 is an International Food Safety Management System Standard which trains
organizations on how to combine the HACCP plan into a single integrated food
safety management strategy. ISO is a network of the national standards institutes
of 157 countries with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates
the system. The North American organization that awarded ISO 22000:2005 is NQA
Global Assurance.
Why use ISO 22000:2005?
ISO 22000 assists organizations wishing to implement a food management system
practice, establishing methods and philosophies for safe handling, processing,
packaging, and control. By using it, an organization establishes a proven food
safety management system (FSMS) that ensures that products do not cause adverse
health effects, helps provide safe products and enhances customer satisfaction.
For businesses, the widespread adoption of International Standards means that suppliers can base the development of their products and services on specifications that have wide acceptance in their sectors. This, in turn, means that businesses using International Standards are increasingly free to compete in many more markets.
For customers, the worldwide compatibility of technology - - which is achieved when products and services are based on International Standards - - brings them an increasingly wide choice of offers, improves quality, and produces benefits from the effects of competition among suppliers.
How is an organization
certified?
An organization needs to prove its commitment and ability to implement a food
safety system through a complex certification surveillance and pass an ongoing
bi-yearly inspection by an approved auditor.
Implementation
of food safety management system principles in accordance with ISO 22000:2005
will assure that all TMI food products are developed, tested and manufactured
appropriately, which results in products of high and consistent quality that
are safe for use.