ISO - Changing for the Better?
By Sally Subhapholsiri
Bangkok, Thailand

By the end of this year, all certifications based on the current version will become obsolete. ISO 9001, 9002 and 9003 : 1994 will be replaced by ISO 9000: 2000 and ISO 9001 : 2000. The change will become effective in December, 2000 when the British Standards Institute (BSI) officially publishes the new International Standards. However, before the BSI could do so, approval of the Draft International Standards (DIS) by 75% of the voting member bodies is required. A copy of the DIS made available by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), who is a voting member, shows a more streamlined structure - 8 sections instead of 20. However, the new requirements will be more difficult to meet and maintain, according to industry sources, since the focus will be on continuous improvement and prevention of non-conformity. Research and development is an area emphasized that developing countries may not be financially ready for, say other reliable sources. Nevertheless, the industry expects to benefit in terms of less paperwork, better applications for food.and some integration of other systems for food safety and quality (e.g. HACCP and TQM). Those who received ISO certification before December , 1999 will have three years, until 2002, to make relevant changes to comply.