When teams start working with ISO 22000, the biggest hurdle usually isn’t the audits or the documentation. It’s the terminology. I’ve trained operators, supervisors, and managers across food manufacturing, packaging, logistics, and catering—and the moment the jargon disappears, confidence rises immediately.
Most people don’t need textbook definitions. They need plain-English explanations that tell them what the term means, why it matters, and how it shows up in real daily work. That’s exactly what this glossary offers.
Whether you’re new to ISO 22000 or refreshing your understanding, these definitions will help your team speak the same language and implement the standard with more clarity and ease.
Core ISO 22000 FSMS Terms — The Foundation
Below are the terms that appear throughout ISO 22000. Understanding these gives your team a strong foundation before diving into HACCP, PRPs, or audit requirements.
FSMS (Food Safety Management System)
Your FSMS is the full structure your business uses to control food-safety risks. It includes procedures, monitoring, training, communication, and improvement activities.
Example: Your allergen procedure, CCP monitoring records, sanitation schedule, and recall system are all part of your FSMS.
Food Safety Policy
A short, clear statement from leadership explaining your company’s commitment to food safety.
Objectives
Measurable goals that support your food safety policy—such as reducing customer complaints or improving sanitation scores.
Documented Information
Anything recorded—procedures, forms, logs, records, flow diagrams, training notes. If it’s written down and used for food safety, it counts.
PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act)
ISO’s simple method for improving anything: plan the work, do the work, check results, and adjust.
Pro Tip: When teams use PDCA consistently, improvement stops feeling random and becomes routine.
Common mistake: Treating objectives and policies as “management documents” instead of team-wide tools.
Hazard & Risk Terms — What ISO 22000 Requires You to Understand
These are the terms that guide your hazard analysis and HACCP. They sound technical, but they’re very practical once explained.
Hazard
Anything that could harm the consumer—biological, chemical, or physical.
Example: Salmonella (biological), cleaning chemicals (chemical), or plastic pieces (physical).
Hazard Analysis
A structured look at your process to identify what could go wrong and how likely it is.
Control Measure
Any action that reduces or prevents a hazard.
Example: Cooking, metal detection, allergen segregation.
Operational Prerequisite Program (OPRP)
Controls essential for reducing food-safety hazards but not strict enough to be CCPs.
Example: Sieving flour to remove contaminants.
Critical Control Point (CCP)
A step where control is essential and failure would create an unacceptable safety risk.
Example: Cooking to a minimum internal temperature.
Critical Limit
The minimum or maximum value that keeps the CCP safe.
Example: “Cook to 72°C for at least 2 minutes.”
Acceptable Level
The level of hazard that is safe for consumption after all controls.
Pro Tip: The easiest way to tell CCPs and OPRPs apart is this: CCP failure usually means immediate risk. OPRP failure increases risk but usually has more safeguards around it.
Common mistake: Calling everything a CCP. That leads to unnecessary monitoring and confusion.
PRP & Environmental Controls — Daily Practices You Can’t Skip
These are the foundational conditions that keep your facility safe before you even think about CCPs.
Prerequisite Program (PRP)
Basic hygiene and operating practices that support safe food production.
Examples: Cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene, maintenance.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Everyday behavior and habits that support food safety.
Your cleaning schedule, methods, chemicals used, and verification steps.
Allergen Management
Systems to prevent cross-contact of allergens.
Pest Control Measures
Activities to prevent infestation—monitoring, barriers, traps, and inspections.
Environmental Monitoring
Checking the facility environment for microbial or allergen risks, especially in high-risk areas.
Pro Tip: Strong PRPs reduce CCPs. When your basics are tight, your HACCP becomes simpler and more reliable.
Traceability, Recall & Supplier-Related Terms
These terms matter because ISO 22000 requires you to control not just your process, but your entire supply chain.
Traceability
The ability to track raw materials, ingredients, and finished goods from supplier to final customer.
Lot/Batch Identification
Unique codes that help you trace where ingredients came from and where they went.
Recall
Removing unsafe products from the market.
Withdrawal
Removing products before they reach consumers—usually from warehouses or distribution points.
Supplier Approval
A structured approach to evaluating and approving suppliers.
Verification of Suppliers
Ongoing checks—audits, COAs, test results—to ensure suppliers stay compliant.
Common mistake: Using “recall” to describe both recall and withdrawal. Regulators treat them differently.
Monitoring, Verification & Validation — ISO 22000’s Most Misunderstood Terms
These three terms often get mixed up. Here’s the simplest way to explain them.
Monitoring
Real-time checks—ongoing observations or measurements.
Example: Checking a cooking temperature every batch.
Verification
Confirming the system is working—reviewing logs, inspecting equipment, auditing.
Validation
Proving your control measure works effectively.
Example: Conducting a study to show your cooking step actually kills pathogens.
Calibration
Ensuring instruments measure accurately.
Internal Audit
A structured check to confirm your FSMS is implemented correctly.
Performance Evaluation
Reviewing data and trends to improve the system.
Pro Tip: Monitoring happens often. Verification happens periodically. Validation happens occasionally but is critical.
Common mistake: Thinking validation only happens once. It needs review when processes, equipment, or hazards change.
Management System Governance — Leadership Terms Simplified
ISO 22000 places responsibility squarely on leadership. These terms clarify what’s expected from management.
Leadership Commitment
Visible involvement from top management in food safety.
Roles & Responsibilities
Clear expectations for who does what and when.
Communication Procedures
How information flows internally and externally.
Emergency Preparedness
Plans for crises—fires, contamination, power outages, natural disasters.
Corrective Action
Steps taken to fix problems and prevent recurrence.
Nonconformity
Any deviation from expected requirements.
Example: A recurring equipment failure leading to foreign-body risks triggers corrective action and deeper root-cause analysis.
Certification & Audit-Related Terms — What ISO 22000 Auditors Actually Look For
These terms help you understand the certification journey.
Stage 1 Audit
A readiness review—documentation, scope, initial gaps.
Stage 2 Audit
A full implementation audit—your system in real operation.
Surveillance Audit
Annual visits to ensure you maintain compliance.
Certification Body
The third-party organization that audits and issues your certificate.
Scope Statement
A clear description of your activities, products, and processes covered by certification.
Continual Compliance
Keeping the system working long-term, not just during audits.
Pro Tip: A clear, specific scope statement avoids problems during audits and strengthens customer confidence.
FAQs
FAQ 1: Do I need to memorize every ISO 22000 term?
Not at all. What matters is understanding the concepts well enough to apply them correctly—not memorizing definitions.
FAQ 2: Why are OPRPs and CCPs separated in ISO 22000?
Because they control different levels of risk. CCPs prevent severe hazards; OPRPs support them and reduce less critical risks.
FAQ 3: Can I rewrite these terms in my own words for my team?
Yes. In fact, using plain English improves training, consistency, and day-to-day performance.
Conclusion — Summary, Credibility & CTA
ISO 22000 becomes much easier to implement when teams understand the terminology in simple, practical language. After years of helping food businesses across the supply chain, I’ve seen how clarity transforms daily operations. When people understand the terms, they understand the system—and that’s when real improvement begins.
If you’d like a printable glossary, a training slide deck, or a version tailored to your specific processes, I can put that together for your team.
Melissa Lavaro is a seasoned ISO consultant and an enthusiastic advocate for quality management standards. With a rich experience in conducting audits and providing consultancy services, Melissa specializes in helping organizations implement and adapt to ISO standards. Her passion for quality management is evident in her hands-on approach and deep understanding of the regulatory frameworks. Melissa’s expertise and energetic commitment make her a sought-after consultant, dedicated to elevating organizational compliance and performance through practical, insightful guidance.
