Having successfully passed the FSSC 22000 certification audit, we received the certificate this month. FSSC 22000 is an international standard for food safety management systems based on ISO 22000, frequently required when dealing with large overseas distributors.

While we were already operating under HACCP, FSSC 22000 audits additional items beyond hygiene management, such as management responsibility, document and record control, supplier management, and food defense. During preparation, we reorganized our record forms from raw material receipt to shipment and documented our standards for managing raw material and supply sources. We learned a great deal from this organizational process itself, even more than from the audit.

The direct reason for obtaining this certification is export. For domestic transactions, HACCP is often sufficient, but overseas buyers first inquire about GFSI-recognized standards. This was a necessary condition to export Tongyeong oysters abroad, and we have now met it. Certification is just the beginning; the daily tasks of recording and maintaining standards continue.