The requirement that applies today
The organization identifies the legal food safety requirements for every end product and keeps enough information to do the hazard analysis: product name or identification, composition, biological, chemical and physical characteristics relevant to safety, intended shelf life and storage conditions, packaging, labelling for food safety and handling or preparation instructions, and the methods of distribution and delivery.
ISO 22000:2018, 8.5.1.3 Preliminary steps: characteristics of end products; ISO/DIS 22000:2026, 8.5.1.3.
What the draft does
Subclause of 8.5.1; not listed separately in the public contents: The public contents name 8.5.1 at this position but do not list its subclauses. The subclause structure shown here comes from the held current edition; whether the draft keeps it is sold by ISO and not held here.
Source: public contents and foreword at 8.5.1.3, retrieved 2026-10-19.
Why this clause matters
The end product description is what connects the factory to the consumer. If the shelf life, the storage condition or the label instruction is wrong, the hazard analysis is built on a false assumption. The clause is also where allergen and handling information becomes evidence.
Suggested evidence to discuss with your auditor
For 8.5.1.3, 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 product description for each end product, matching the label and the specification
- Shelf life and storage validation, not only an assumed date
- Distribution and delivery methods recorded
Where systems usually fall short
- A product description that has not been updated after a recipe change
- Shelf life set by habit with no validation
How to prepare
Choose the product with the longest shelf life and the one with the most allergens. Check the description, the label and the shelf life evidence together. A mismatch between them is a live risk.
Dates
Cross-references
Source
Clause 8.5.1.3. Current edition: ISO 22000:2018. Draft: ISO/DIS 22000:2026. Retrieved 2026-10-19. The full DIS text for 8.5.1.3 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.