Certification of quality management systems ISO 9001 is a global quality standard that is recognized across all sectors. It belongs to the ISO 9000 family and enables an organization to publicly demonstrate its commitment to product or service quality. Certifying to this standard helps companies to gain greater control over their processes, reduce the costs of low quality, optimize their schedules, increase productivity and assess and minimize risks. It also supports them in accessing new markets and fostering relationships of trust with new clients.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) amended the ISO 9001:2008 standard for quality management systems on 15th September 2015 in order to improve certain aspects of the 2008 version, such as putting increased emphasis on leadership and interested parties. This new version also incorporates some structural changes. ISO 9001:2015 is based on a high-level structure. This is a set of 10 clauses that are now shared by all ISO management-system standards, giving them a consistent structure. All new standards with this high-level structure share a common text as well as containing discipline-specific texts tailored to the particular management system in question.
The use of this new framework offers some significant advantages to companies:
The ISO 9001 standard offers multiple advantages to companies. It is a tool with which to identify quality-related aspects that the company could improve. Its ultimate aim is organizational excellence. The implementation of ISO 9001 is of benefit to companies both internally and externally.
This international standard can apply to any company, regardless of sector or size. Implementation of the ISO 9001 standard is particularly recommended for companies that are striving for quality excellence, increased confidence among clients at a global level and/or access to new markets.
Certification is the GITCHIA management-system certification unit. It is founded on the principles of independence and impartiality. Our end goal is to:
Quality management system certification for organizations working in the design, development, production, installation or sale of medical devices and related services. Quality management system certification for organizations working in the design, development, production, installation or sale of medical devices and related services. The certification of quality management systems for medical devices supports organizations in this sector to achieve regulatory compliance and to meet the needs of their clients, both for companies and for related services.
The ISO 13485 standard shares its structure with that of ISO 9001 and includes important factors such as sterile manufacturing, traceability and risk assessment. This permits the monitoring of the full healthcare-product production process, from design conception to end destination. ISO 13485 compliance enables organizations to meet quality system requirements around the world, including those set by the FDA in the United States, the Canadian authorities and the European Union.
GITCHIA Certification is a prestigious independent body that was established to help organizations achieve their aim of continuous improvement. We assess the specific needs of our clients so that our auditors, who specialize in the sectors in question, can add maximum value while evaluating an organization’s compliance. Our teams of professionals draw up customized certification plans taking into account client structures, processes and areas of activity. Our global presence, extensive product portfolio and wide-ranging accreditations enable us to provide our clients with a comprehensive, expert and tailor-made service.
Certification of environmental management systems; International standard ISO 14001 helps companies to control their environmental impact and achieve sustainable growth. It belongs to the ISO 14000 family of environmental management standards that were drawn up in 1996. Following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit that was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 ISO’s Technical Committee 207 set out to work towards achieving sustainable development.
The implementation and certification of an environmental management system demonstrates that a company is complying with current environmental legislation and assessing and minimizing environmental risks. ISO 14001 certification also supports companies in accessing new markets and fostering new client relationships. This standard can apply to any company, regardless of sector or size.
This standard was initially published in 2004 and was then updated in 2015. Companies were given three years from the date of publication to make the transition. The new version still helps companies to reduce waste, save energy and boost their reputation vis-à-vis clients and suppliers. The key difference is that it is now based on a high-level structure. This new framework facilitates the integration of the ISO 14001 standard with those of other management systems. This enables companies wanting to certify to several ISO standards that share the same structure to make savings in terms of both time and money.
The primary advantage of implementing and certifying to the ISO 14001 standard is the chance for a company to create a robust and efficient environmental management system with which it can demonstrate its commitment to sustainable development. The certification of such a system is of benefit to companies both internally and externally.
The ISO 14001 standard is designed to apply to any company, regardless of its size, sector or geographical location. It is a voluntary standard; in other words, an organization can decide for itself if it wishes to implement it. By doing so, the company’s environmental management system will offer added value to the business.
GITCHIA Certification is the GITCHIA management-system certification unit. It is founded on the principles of independence and impartiality. Our end goal is to:
Food safety management systems certification. The food industry supply chain is increasingly complex and global, requiring the adoption of common food quality and safety standards, which allow increasing the fluidity of relationships and ensure some common criteria for all the parties in the chain.
The ISO 22000 certification in food and agriculture sector companies helps ensure food safety throughout the food chain to the end consumer or sales outlet. This international standard applies to organizations involved in primary production, food producers, retailers, catering companies, and service companies related to the field of food safety (cleaning and disinfection, transportation, storage and distribution, etc.).
ISO 22000 is an international standard originating from ISO, the International Organization for Standardization. It is the result of collaborative and collective work by all stakeholders across the world. 35 countries participated in the latest update, which was finalized in June 2018. France is very much involved in the development of ISO 22000, via GITCHIA’s “traceability and food safety – management and hygiene” Standardization Commission which brings together professionals in the field from around thirty organizations: representatives of the State, industrialists, consumers, certification bodies, as well as universities, schools and institutes. Participation is open to all. It is essential for ISO 22000 and all international standards to meet the expectations of professionals in France. The standardization of management methods, product specifications and analysis methods has increased over the years. Almost 140 countries participate in the ISO Technical Committee for the agri-food industry, with more than 840 documents already published and kept up to date.
Setting up a food safety quality management system leads to the deployment of resources to ensure the safety of products and services. This is an approved prevention and continuous improvement tool. The PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle is deployed at two levels: the first of these applies to the management system, the second to the HACCP principles. Like any international standard, ISO 22000 facilitates dialogue and saves time: by applying it, you are using a recognized, globally shared method. ISO 22000 builds trust with your suppliers, customers and interested parties in the food chain. It promotes effective communication with them by identifying potential hazards and by defining the measures to be implemented to control these hazards when they occur. However, ISO 22000 certification does not attest to the safety of a product, or of its fitness for use.
Manage and control food safety risks in all the supply chain’s parties:
GITCHIA Certification is an independent and renowned entity that aims to help organizations achieve their commitment to continuous improvement. We analyze the clients’ needs so that our auditors, who are specialists in each field, perform a service that provides the maximum value evaluating your organization’s compliance. Our teams develop specific certification plans according to our clients’ structure, processes and activities. Our international presence, extensive product portfolio, and accreditations allow us to offer global and expert service, tailored to your organization’s needs.
The new, international ISO 45001 standard supersedes the British OHSAS 18001 standard. Both share the same objective: helping businesses to prevent accidents and manage health and safety in the workplace. In 2015, ISO (International Organization for Standardization) began work on ISO 45001 with a view to developing a truly international standard that could bridge the divide created by OHSAS 18001. The main aim of this new standard is to protect all workers around the world with a single version of the standard. The final draft of ISO 45001 was approved in January 2018 and the standard was published in March. Companies have 3 years to make the transition to the new standard before OHSAS 18001 is repealed.
Occupational accidents and illnesses not only affect worker health and safety, but also have a major impact on organizations as a whole. ISO 45001 certification offers companies a variety of advantages, including:
Any organization can implement and certify a management system under ISO 45001, regardless of its size or sector. The standard is particularly aimed at companies wanting to:
The new standard was published on 12th March 2018 and there is a transition period in force for all companies wishing to remain certified. As of 11th March 2021, occupational health and safety management systems will need to be certified under ISO 45001. Understanding the principal aspects of the new standard is vital to ensuring a successful transition. GITCHIA Certification runs training courses to help clients understand how the changes will affect them and to explain the benefits of certifying to ISO 45001 standard. Our highly experienced team of auditors can also offer clients a professional audit of their management systems and certify their compliance with the new requirements.
The new ISO 45001 standard differs from OHSAS 18001 in a number of key respects, principally in terms of structure and content. The following are some of the new features to be found in ISO 45001:
Halal Certification is becoming mainstream in the food industry. As the worldwide Muslim population has crossed 1.6 billion, the demand for producing and packaging foods processed according to Islamic dietary laws using chicken, mutton, beef, and other ingredients is growing day & night.
Halal Certification is a third-party verification that products, processes, or systems in the supply chain meet accepted Halal Standards. Halal Certification provides a “Systematic Approach” that ensures the products’ features and quality according to the rules established by the Islamic Council that allow the mark Halal.
‘Halal Certified’ refers to products that have been endorsed as Halal by a credible Islamic body (Third-party certification).
Frequently, Halal Certification involves a series of steps, including ingredient verification, inspection/audit, and approval by a committee. Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals are also Halal Certified. Frequently, these products contain animal by-products.
Alcohol is present in perfumes.
Pig-fat is present in lipsticks and lip balms.
Makeup products actively contain the by-Products of animals like cows, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, etc.
We are providing Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000) through our sister company EAC. Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000) is a robust, ISO-based, internationally accepted certification scheme for auditing and certification of food safety within the food and beverage manufacturing sector.
FSSC 22000 is a Food Safety Management Certification Scheme, managed by Foundation FSSC 22000 and governed by an independent Board of Stakeholders which consists of representatives from several sectors in the food industry. FSSC 22000 is used to control food safety risks.
The Food Safety Certification requirements provide a rigorous system to manage food safety risks and provide safe products for use by companies in the food industry.
FSSC 22000 is a GFSI recognized food safety certification. This allows your customers to have confidence in your food safety program and know that you have a rigorous food safety system in place.
Certification of information security management systems Information is one of the most important of any company’s assets. Organizations handle and store a vast amount of confidential or sensitive data in their systems, which must remain accessible as well as secure at all times.An information security management system (ISMS) allows organizations systematically and efficiently to understand, manage and minimize information-security risks. The appropriate implementation and certification of such a system provides an assurance of the confidentiality, integrity and availability of stored data.
Certified information security management systems foster confidence among clients and improve company efficiency. ISO 27001:2013 is currently the most widely recognized standard for managing information security. This international standard was drawn up by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in 2005 in order to safeguard the security of company-held information. It was revised in 2013 in response to needs that had become apparent during the eight years the standard had been in use. One change made was the standard’s alignment with Annex SL, bringing it into line with a high-level structure. This new structure permits organizations to enhance their health and safety and environmental performance and also facilitates the standard’s integration with other management systems.
Any organization can certify its ISMS under ISO 27001, regardless of its size or sector. At the moment, this standard is implemented most frequently by IT, insurance, retail and transport companies, as well as public sector bodies.
GIGC Certification is a prestigious independent body that was established to help organizations achieve their aim of continual improvement. We assess the individual needs of our clients so that our auditors, who specialize in the sectors in question, can add maximum value while assessing an organization’s compliance.
Our team of professionals draw up customized certification plans taking into account the client’s structure, processes and area of activity. Our global presence, extensive product portfolio and wide-ranging accreditation enable us to provide our clients with a comprehensive, expert and tailor-made service.
Enhance your food safety management and product quality with an HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certification from GIGC. HACCP certification instantly demonstrates to customers your commitment to producing or trading in safe food. This evidence-based approach can be particularly beneficial when you are subject to inspection by regulatory authorities or stakeholders. Demonstrating a real commitment to food safety through HACCP compliance can also transform your brand and act as an effective entry-to-market tool, opening up new business opportunities around the world. Our global network of food experts carries out HACCP audits and helps you focus on the hazards that affect food safety and hygiene. It is then possible to systematically identify where the hazards are by setting up control limits at critical points during the food production process.
HACCP certification is an international standard defining the requirements for effective control of food safety. It is built around seven principles:
The primary purpose of a HACCP system is to protect people from food borne illness, but the benefits of the system also extend to the company.
GIGC Certification is the GIGC management-system certification unit. It is founded on the principles of independence and impartiality. Our end goal is to:
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. It is designed to minimize the risks involved in any production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product.
Good manufacturing practice guidelines provide guidance for manufacturing, testing, and quality assurance in order to ensure that a food or drug product is safe for human consumption. Many countries have legislated that food, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers follow GMP procedures and create their own GMP guidelines that correspond with their legislation.
All guidelines follow a few basic principles:
GIGC Certification is the GIGC management-system certification unit. It is founded on the principles of independence and impartiality. Our end goal is to:
Vegan certification highlights the importance your cosmetic brand places on animal well-being and allows you to share a wider message with your consumers regarding your brand’s ethics and values.
Among other elements, a vegan-certified cosmetic product is defined as containing no animal ingredients or by-products, using no animal ingredients or by-products in the manufacturing process and no testing on animals by any company or independent contractor.
As a reminder, European Cosmetics Regulation EC No 1223/2009 banned animal testing on cosmetic products in 2004 and on cosmetic ingredients in 2009 and 2013 (Article 18). Since the Common Criteria in EU No 655/2013 prohibit any marketing communications that would “convey the idea that a product has a specific benefit when this benefit is mere compliance with minimum legal requirements” (Legal Compliance criterion, §3), claiming that a product is “cruelty-free” is therefore illegal in the EU. As of today, there are not many ways of providing such information to the consumer without raising compliance issues. However, the claim “vegan” is an option since its definition encompasses non-animal testing, among other requirements.
A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.
Genetic modification affects many of the products we consume on a daily basis. As the number of GMOs available for commercial use grows every year, the Non-GMO Project works diligently to provide the most accurate, up-to-date standards for non-GMO verification.
The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. FDA also has responsibility for regulating the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products to protect the public health and to reduce tobacco use by minors. FDA is responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medical products more effective, safer, and more affordable and by helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medical products and foods to maintain and improve their health.
FDA also plays a significant role in the Nation’s counter terrorism capability. FDA fulfills this responsibility by ensuring the security of the food supply and by fostering development of medical products to respond to deliberate and naturally emerging public health threats. GIGC support their customers for the registration of following products
The Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) is designed for retailers, manufacturers, food service providers and farmers obliged to conform to various government regulations and/or the Codex Alimentarius gluten-free science based guidelines. Delivered by third-party ISO/IEC 17021-1 IDA accredited certifying bodies, GFCP is a non-prescriptive HACCP-based standard that is endorsed by the leading North American celiac organizations and administered by the Allergen Control Group.
The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) certifies many thousands of products. It is a voluntary program developed in 2005 by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) of North America, a non-profit association funded by private donations. Targeting retailers, manufacturers and farmers, GFCO uses quality assessment and control measures to assure consumers that their food is safe. Certification involves risk assessments, plant audits and equipment and product testing, at the plant and at the point of consumer purchase. Finished products bearing the GFCO logo must contain 10 ppm or less of gluten.
Our gluten-free program provides credible, verified and science-based gluten-free certification with a label consumers can trust. The program demonstrates compliance to FDA gluten-free labeling guidelines and provides additional assurance to consumers through facility inspection and testing.
Why Gluten-Free Certification for Your Organization
Gluten-free certification is a process designed to protect consumers with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders by confirming that a food, drink or supplement meets strict standards for gluten-free safety. It assures consumers that there is third-party oversight confirming the legitimacy of the manufacturer’s gluten-free processes and claims. There are several certifying owners that offer gluten-free certification, and each has its own criteria to ensure safety for consumers.
In the grocery store, certification seals hopefully make it easier to identify safe and trusted products. Products that have been certified gluten-free will typically bear a symbol on the label, so customers with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders can quickly and easily recognize the symbol and know that the product has earned approval.
GITCHIA Endorses Gluten-Free Certification Program
GITCHIA endorses the Gluten-Free Certification Program ,a food safety-based gluten management system for manufacturers, which was created by the Allergen Control Group. GITCHIA has brought this system to the UK. As the food industry becomes increasingly globalized, GITCHIA believes that international certifications such as this Gluten-Free Certification will play a critical role in ensuring that our gluten-free food supply is truly safe and trusted.
The GFCP is a management system and facility-based certification. This means that the program does not rely solely on product testing to ensure safety, but examines the entire practices and production process of the facility – from ingredient sourcing to employee training, cleaning practices, cross-contact controls, operational management and, finally, an effective end-to-end testing plan.
The GFCP approves only those facilities that continually meet strict, good manufacturing practices for gluten-free production. Certification audits are conducted annually by trained and approved, independent International Standard for Organization (ISO) and third-party accredited auditing companies. Products manufactured in facilities that have earned GFCP certification may bear a clear and easy-to-recognize certification trademark from the GFCP and endorsed by GITCHIA, on their packaging.
By having qualified third-party professionals involved in each major step of the certification process, the GFCP supports a system of checks and balances eliminating any potential for conflict of interest between the manufacturer’s relationship with and the program, its certifying bodies and/or GITCHIA.