In the first white paper put forth by NSF, we introduced the Global Food Safety Initiative*, accreditation, and the value of food safety certification. This second white paper will look at the early steps involved in certification and how to get started. We will also simplify the process, discuss key components and introduce an example timeline to certification. 

In beginning, it is important for facilities to understand the steps to certification and how to approach them. Some steps are mandatory and some are optional. The optional steps can be valuable tools to help a facility succeed in attaining certification. It is important to have a good understanding of the length of each of the steps, and how long the entire process may take. This is particularly valuable when trying to meet critical timelines.