People all over the world want access to quality health products that are safe and will improve their health. International Standards are therefore important for the community, ensuring that Safety and quality of products remain at the forefront of global trade and safeguarding our environment.
In 1946, delegates from 25 countries met at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London to create a new international organization that would coordinate and develop international industrial standards. ISO is an independent, non-governmental organization made up of members from the national standards bodies of 163 countries. They are the worlds largest developer of voluntary International Standards. This includes 150 people coordinating day-to-day operations from the Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, overseen by the ISO Secretary General.
ISO cooperates with over 700 international, regional and national organizations including the United Nations (UN), UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), World Trade Organization (WTO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and World Standard Cooperation (WSC).
Through it’s voluntary panel they bring together international experts that share knowledge on a variety of industries, systems and services to support innovation and provide solutions that ensure good quality, safety and efficiency for business. Since they began their work, they have published over 21,000 International Standards in a variety of sectors ranging from technology, to food safety, agriculture and healthcare. By developing high quality standards, conformity assessment and strategic tools they have helped many companies minimize waste, increase productivity, simplify global trade and increase customer satisfaction.
When using any type of health product without the proper licensing and certifications to any standards, you seriously risk your health, and I recommend doing thorough research about the company you are interested in buying healthy nutrition food products from and it’s history. ISO certified quality management systems ensure high quality standards for food covering everything from manufacturing, quality & safety, testing, analysis, sampling, quality management and more. Read more about ISO & Food here. ISO are the most internationally recognized and established standards and any company adhering to them adds credibility, reliability, transparency and quality assurance to their operating standards.
Are companies certified with ISO more dependable?
In a nutshell, yes, they are more dependable because they are able to conform to International Standards developed by a credible and recognized organization that focuses on safety, health and constantly improving efficiency. In addition, to get ISO certified is no easy task for any company. There is a cost involved, and it requires a lot of effort and dedication to satisfy all the requirements of the certification process – an ongoing commitment to excellence.
Benefits of ISO certification
- Quality and reliability
- Consistency in the delivery of services
- Choice and fair competition
- Transparency in production information
- Suitability of products for vulnerable populations
- Credibility of standards to support consumer protection laws
Are consumers aware of ISO certification?
The majority of consumers today are not fully aware of what is involved for a company to have an ISO certified product or the importance it has on the quality of a product or service. However, evidence shows that once consumers are made aware of what is involved, what the requirements and the benefits of being certified to Iso Standards has, as well as the positive impact it has on a company and it’s customers, the value and advantages are recognized and positive attitudes are associated with it. According to a customer satisfaction survey in 2015 by the British Assessment Bureau on the benefits of attaining certification to ISO standards a sample of their clients, 61% found it improved their internal processes and 28% that it had improved new business – a good step in the right direction.
