Babak Pakbin - PhD student, Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Mahmoud Reza Taheri - Iranian National Standards Organization (INSO), Qazvin, Iran.

This study attempts to fill a gap in the literature on food safety management systems (FSMS) by providing quantitative empirical evidence about the reasons for implementing a FSMS based on ISO 22000, as well as by analyzing the main constraints that may prevent the adoption of the standard in the food industry. The profile of the ISO 22000 certified company in Spain is an SME food producer with a presence in foreign markets, and with two or more management systems implemented. While there exist external pressures that lead companies to adopt a FSMS based on ISO 22000, the reasons that are mostdeterminant in this decision are internal in nature, specifically the desire to improve efficiency, productivity and quality. Results also identify three major constraints limiting the dissemination and use of ISO 22000: it is not a well-known standard, many food companies are unaware of its potential and theyalso perceive high costs associated to the adoption. It is noteworthy that the application of Ishikawa(Cause and Effect or Tree diagram) led to converging results thus corroborating the validity of conclusions derived from risk assessment and FMEA. Therefore, the incorporation of FMEA analysis within the ISO 22000 system of a salmon processing industry is anticipated to prove advantageous to industrialists, state food inspectors, and consumers.

ISO 22000, Food diseases, Safety management