Modalities of implementation of food safety system certification-22000:2010 standard: the case of nestle Kenya limited

Abstract

Implementation of FSSC 22000:2010 for any food manufacturing organization increases its competitiveness and this serves as a big gain in the marketplace. Consumers of the firm‟s products have confidence in what they purchase because of the proven enactment and on-going maintenance of the system. Successful implementation of the standard has a huge positive implication on the quality of commodities produced by the firm. This study sought to determine the modalities of implementing FSSC 22000:2010 practices at Nestle Kenya limited, the benefits that the firm has reaped due to the implementation and finally to determine the effect of the standard practices to the firm‟s competitiveness. The research methodology adopted was a case study using Nestle Kenya Limited as the unit of study. The research findings revealed that Nestle Kenya Limited have systems and structures of FSSC 22000:2010 well in place. The organization had to contend with a number of issues when they started to implement the standard. These were: employees not receptive to the idea at first, no clear understanding of the standard for many, low level of empowerment, lack of motivation, unclear objectives, internal inefficiencies, manual process and misalignment across departments. The benefits that the firm has seen from the standard include; notable reduction in consumer complaints, reduced quality near misses, zero product withdrawals from the market, reduced production costs, improved traceability across their value chain, proactive and preventive employee culture, legal compliance, better risk management, proven industry credentials and better stakeholder relationships. It is also important that the barriers cited by the informants as hampering effective implementation of the standard be addressed by the leadership of Nestlé Kenya in order to reap the full benefits of FSSC 22000:2010 and significantly improve the quality performance of the company.