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7.4.1

Communication: general

ClauseUnchanged titleRetrieved 2026-10-19Last updated: 2026-10-19

The requirement that applies today

The organization decides what it communicates internally and externally about the system, when, with whom, how and who does it. It makes sure everyone whose work affects food safety understands why effective communication matters.

ISO 22000:2018, 7.4.1 Communication: general; ISO/DIS 22000:2026, 7.4.1.

What the draft does

Unchanged title: The public contents keep 7.4.1 at the same number and title. No structural change is shown.

Source: public contents and foreword at 7.4.1, retrieved 2026-10-19.

Why this clause matters

Communication failures are the root of many recalls: a supplier change nobody told production about, a customer complaint that never reached the technical team, a regulator query answered by someone without the facts. The clause asks for a planned system, not good intentions.

Suggested evidence to discuss with your auditor

For 7.4.1, these are the artefacts we suggest discussing with your auditor. The standard publishes no evidence list, so this is our reading, not a requirement.

  • A communication matrix: topic, audience, method, owner and trigger
  • Examples of each route working, including an urgent one
  • Evidence that the matrix is reviewed when roles or processes change

Where systems usually fall short

  • A matrix that exists but is unknown to the people who need it
  • Urgent food safety information that travels by informal conversation only

How to prepare

Write the routes that must work at 2am on a Sunday, such as a supplier alert or a complaint about a distributed lot. Test one of them with a real message and time how long it takes to reach the person who can act. Write the urgent route on one page and keep it where supervisors can see it. The test is a message at 2am on a Sunday, not a matrix in a folder.

Dates

Applies todayISO 22000:2018 as amended in 2024, the edition published today; certificate treatment after a new edition depends on the transition arrangements
DraftISO/DIS 22000:2026, DIS ballot closed 2026-07-29
Planning date2027-09-12 (estimate, not an ISO date)

Cross-references

7.4.2, 7.4.3, 8.4.2, 8.9.5

Source

Clause 7.4.1. Current edition: ISO 22000:2018. Draft: ISO/DIS 22000:2026. Retrieved 2026-10-19. The full DIS text for 7.4.1 is sold by ISO and not held here; the sources page lists what is.

Not legal advice; does not certify; our words, not the standard's, and the planning date is an estimate.