Micro-credential in Global Food Safety: ISO 22000 and IFS Certification

The growing globalisation of food supply chains and the intensification of regulatory and commercial requirements have made food safety management a strategic and differentiating competence for organisations in the agri-food sector. In this context, the ISO 22000 and IFS (International Featured Standards) frameworks have emerged as the leading internationally recognised certification tools, increasingly demanded by major European distributors and retail chains from all their suppliers.
ISO 22000 establishes the requirements for an integrated Food Safety Management System (FSMS), combining HACCP principles with process management requirements and interactive communication throughout the food chain. IFS Food, in turn, is an audit and certification standard aimed at suppliers of private-label food products, with widespread requirements across the European Union.
In Portugal, the agri-food sector accounts for over 10% of industrial GDP and faces increasing pressure to demonstrate compliance with these standards, both in the domestic market and in exports. Yet specialised training in the implementation, maintenance, and auditing of these systems remains scarce in polytechnic higher education, creating a gap between graduates’ competency profiles and the actual needs of the sector.
This Micro-credencial directly addresses this need, equipping food sector professionals
— including nutritionists, food engineers, quality technicians, and production managers — to implement, audit, and maintain food safety management systems
compliant with ISO 22000:2018 and IFS Food v8. The training combines technicalscientific rigour with practical application, integrating real-case analysis, audit simulations, and system documentation development.

Candidates who meet at least one of the following conditions may apply for this micro-credential:
– Graduates or postgraduates in Food Science and Technology, Nutrition, Food Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, or related fields;
– Professionals with documented experience (minimum 2 years) in agri-food sectors, food quality, or related areas, holding a level 6 or higher academic qualification on the NQF;
– Students enrolled in the final year of a degree or master’s programme in the aforementioned fields, with a declaration from their institution.

Portuguese

This training will enable:
– Understanding the structure, requirements, and scope of ISO 22000:2018 and IFS Food v8;
– Mastering HACCP methodology integrated within an FSMS;
– Developing competencies for implementing and maintaining a compliant FSMS;
– Preparing and conducting internal/second-party audits in accordance with ISO 19011;
– Drafting technical documentation: FSMS manual, procedures, work instructions, and records;
– Interpreting and responding to non-conformities and external audit reports.