Managing Risk – The Key Objective of Contemporary Food Safety Standards

A dialogue with scheme owners

Dear consultants,

Differences in interpretation remain one of the most persistent challenges in food safety. In practice, it is not unusual for a consultant, an auditor, and a scheme owner to review the same process and reach different conclusions.

These variations can lead to uncertainty, unnecessary nonconformities, and additional pressure for food businesses working to demonstrate compliance.

We all aim to manage risk, but are we consistently speaking the same language?

Consultants play a critical role in how food safety standards are understood and applied in real-life settings. You are often the first to identify gray areas within manufacturing environments, and your interpretations directly influence operational decisions, audit outcomes, and confidence in certification processes.

To support greater clarity and shared understanding, Certima invites you to:

“Managing Risk – The Key Objective of Contemporary Food Safety Standards”
A live dialogue with IFS and BRCGS scheme owners and the consultant community in the Netherlands.

This event also marks the launch of Certima’s new event series, Transparency in Action, focused on strengthening alignment and open dialogue in food safety practice.

Why this event is relevant for you

  • Consultants are central to the practical application of food safety standards.
  • Gray areas in factories are often first identified during consultancy work.
  • Interpretation differences influence audit outcomes and company confidence.
  • Improved alignment supports more consistent certification processes.

What you will gain

  • Insights from IFS and BRCGS on risk management and interpretation.
  • Clarifications on recurring gray areas encountered in practice.
  • Practical observations that may support your daily work.
  • An opportunity to exchange perspectives with fellow consultants.

Agenda highlights

IFS perspective on risk management

  • HACCP fundamentals and differentiation of control measures (PRPs vs. CCPs)
  • Risk assessments outside the HACCP plan
  • Defining and validating risk-based decisions
  • Risk assessment of suppliers and external service providers

BRCGS perspective on risk management

  • Risk zoning as a backbone of risk management in BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9
  • How risk zoning influences daily operational decisions
  • Structured discussion on recurring interpretation challenges

How to prepare

Participants are invited to bring one or two anonymized examples where interpretation has been challenging.

Event details

Please confirm your attendance by 15 January 2026.
Note: On-site participation is limited and will be confirmed individually.

Disclaimer

As an accredited certification body, Certima remains fully impartial and does not provide consultancy. This session is intended for open dialogue and improved understanding, not for offering implementation guidance.

We look forward to a constructive and informative exchange.

Certima Team