COVID-19 in the workplace: this topic has caused quite a stir, headlines and scandals in the last year. For lack of international standards, companies had to decide individually how to protect their employees during the pandemic. Since December 2020, companies can finally rely on a new international guidance document: ISO 45005 provides universally …

DQS is one of the leading certification bodies that support iCompliance. As of March 2020, the DQS Group has been performing and will continue to perform audits within the iCompliance program. The iCompliance initiative leverages a harmonized set of quality management standards to ensure compliance within the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Industry supply …

An IFS certificate is valid for a maximum of 12 months. In order to receive a new certificate before it expires, an on-site audit must take place. However, in times of COVID-19, such an audit is not always possible. So what are the alternatives? “This certified company can produce a safe product according to customer specifications” – this is …

In times when data and information are traded like rare commodities, their protection is indispensable. An optimal basis for the effective implementation of an integrated security strategy is a well-structured Information Security Management System (ISMS) according to the ISO 27001 standard, an internationally recognized standard for information security …

The implementation of a food safety culture effectively reduces a company’s vulnerability to food fraud. This awareness is gaining ground, even at the highest political level. The EU Commission has now revised Regulation 852, one of legal pillars for food safety in the EU. A draft version of the general requirements for a food safety culture has now …

Travel restrictions and the risk of COVID-19 infection have had a significant impact on social auditing: most audits have been postponed or cancelled. This is unfortunate, as it is exactly in times of crisis that worker’s rights are challenged the most. With the Sedex Virtual Assessment, we now have an alternative to the traditional on-site social …

Earlier this year, the Global Food Safety Initiative published Version 2020 of its benchmarking requirements. The consequences are significant: unannounced audits will become mandatory for all GFSI-benchmarked certification schemes. This includes, but is not limited to, leading schemes such as IFS, BRCGS and FSSC 22000. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), …