NTPC Training Instructor and project lead Vicky Narayan. works with FresPac Ginger (Fiji) Pte Limited Quality Assurance Coordinator Matelita Komaidreke.

The Fiji National University’s (FNU) National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) conducted a week-long consultancy project with FresPac Ginger (Fiji) Pte Limited this month to update its Food Safety Management System to the new ISO 22000:2018 standard.

NTPC’s Instructor Food Safety and Quality Vicky Narayan led the consultancy project by reviewing their existing management system, identifying the gaps and assisting in developing new processes to ensure that the management system complied with the new standard.

“The transition from ISO 22000:2005 to ISO 22000:2018 is necessary since the older version of the standard expires at end of this year,” Narayan said.

“In addition to this, the latest edition of the standard means a more robust food safety management system, thus ensuring safe food throughout the food chain. Also, to facilitate international trade and compete with other manufacturers, the current food safety system needs to be upgraded to meet customer needs and expectations.”

According to FresPac Ginger (Fiji) Pte Limited Quality Assurance Coordinator Matelita Komaidreke, the consultancy project was a timely one as they are in the final year of their management system’s transition phase.

“This project was identified as an essential investment towards productivity improvement of the organisation, while making it more competitive with other manufacturers in the industry,” Komaidreke said.

Following this assignment, NTPC will deliver more in-house training workshops to the extended staff at FresPac Ginger (Fiji) Pte Limited in the coming month.

NTPC has delivered similar consultancy projects to several organisations in the past. Some of the other common management systems the NTPC helps implement are ISO9001 Quality Management System, ISO45001 OHS Management System, and ISO14001 Environment Management System.

Additionally, NTPC offers food safety-related training on the following topics: Allergen Management, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Systems, Basic Food Safety Management (approved course by the Ministry of Health), and ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management Systems.

“There is a growing need for certification in HACCP and ISO22000 from the agro-processing industry in Fiji as the economy gets more dependant in the Agriculture sector. The certification helps facilitate more export of fresh produce and processed foods and beverages,” Narayan said.

He added certified companies that do not transition to a new standard within three years of publication of the revised standard may risk losing their certification status. The old certification would become invalid and this may result in losing contract clients and customers.