Food manufacturer and retailer supply chains have become increasingly complex and reliant on the use of food safety standards to ensure that the food supply is safe.  Where once these manufacturers and retailers relied on their own inspectors and auditors to undertake audits of their suppliers, they are relying more and more on third party certification and inspection bodies to undertake these activities on their behalves.
So who makes sure that these bodies are competent?  That’s the role of the national accreditation bodies.  Using internationally recognised standards developed by ISO/CASCO, accreditation bodies oversee the work of these third parties to ensure that they’re competent and acting impartially and independently.
In the current COVID-19 environment ISO/CASCO and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the accredited certification community are working together to ensure the continuity of certifications, and continued confidence in the safety of food supply chains.