Food Safety & Quality Management System Manual Procedure

Maintain a controlled map of the FSQMS

The procedure requires the FSQMS Manual to present a clear and logical structure so personnel can locate, understand and apply information relevant to the Food Safety & Quality Management System.

The manual includes an overview of the FSQMS and its governance, the policies that define organisational intent, the procedures that describe operational and oversight controls, and signposting to HACCP documentation, prerequisite programmes and supporting systems. Links to controlled forms, templates and records give users a practical route from system requirements to the evidence and tools used to apply them.

By requiring an index of controlled policies and procedures, the procedure supports the manual’s role as a current reference point for the documented system without turning the manual into a duplicate of every operational document.

Control approval, revision and distribution

Control of the FSQMS Manual is managed through the Document Control Procedure. The procedure requires approval before initial release or revision of documents that form part of the manual, together with identification of version number, revision status, issue date and approval authority.

Distribution controls are used so only the current version is accessible. Obsolete versions are marked and retained according to document-control rules, helping the manual remain aligned with the approved documentation that personnel are expected to use.

Update the manual when the system changes

The procedure defines when the FSQMS Manual must be updated. Relevant triggers include changes to products, processes, equipment, facilities, suppliers or organisational structure, changes to policies or procedures referenced within the manual, improvements identified through internal audits, verification or management review, and changes to regulatory, industry or customer expectations.

Technical or quality management coordinates updates and ensures referenced documents remain aligned and current. Document owners maintain the accuracy, completeness and currency of their assigned documents and notify technical or quality management when changes affect the FSQMS Manual. That allocation keeps the framework connected to actual operations and to the controlled documents beneath it.

Make current information accessible and usable

Personnel must have access to the current approved version of the FSQMS Manual, either electronically or through controlled printed copies. The procedure also requires personnel to understand how to navigate the manual and locate the controlled documents relevant to their work, with printed copies checked for currency before use.

The procedure gives specific attention to the clarity of procedures and work instructions within the FSQMS. Documents must be clear, unambiguous, logically structured and written at a level appropriate to their intended users. They must also be issued in languages appropriate to the workforce, with visual aids such as photographs, diagrams, flowcharts or pictorial instructions used where written communication alone is not sufficient.

Training requirements support this usability objective. Personnel involved in maintaining or using the FSQMS Manual are trained in the manual’s structure and purpose, the requirements of this procedure, document-control rules, record-keeping rules and their responsibilities for FSQMS documentation.

Allocate responsibility for the manual and its content

The procedure separates responsibility across the roles that govern, maintain, contribute to and use the manual. Senior management provides resources, communicates the importance of maintaining an effective FSQMS, and approves the manual and major amendments where required.

Technical or quality management maintains the FSQMS Manual, coordinates updates when changes affect food safety, quality, legality or authenticity, ensures the manual is controlled, issued, revised and distributed in accordance with document-control requirements, and supports document owners in meeting FSQMS documentation expectations.

Document owners keep assigned documents accurate, complete and current. Employees use only controlled and approved versions of documents, follow the current documents referenced in the manual and report inaccuracies or documentation issues.

Connect manual control with document and record governance

The procedure is governed by the Food Safety & Quality Management System Policy and the Documented Information & Records Management Policy. It also connects directly with document control and record-completion requirements, which provide the operational rules for approval, revision, distribution, record completion and record maintenance.

Records generated from the procedure may include FSQMS Manual approval and revision records, supporting information for updates and training records linked to manual responsibilities. These records provide evidence that the manual is being maintained, updated and used under the documented information controls of the wider FSQMS.

A manual-management procedure within the wider FSQMS

Within the Food Industry Hub FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite, this procedure provides the framework for keeping the FSQMS Manual clear, controlled, current and usable. It connects governance, document hierarchy, access, clarity, training, document control and record evidence so the manual can serve as a reliable guide to the documented management system.

For technical, quality and operational teams, the procedure provides a structured basis for maintaining the manual as a live representation of the site’s FSQMS, rather than a static document list or uncontrolled collection of procedures.