[Reprinted with permission from www.oxebridge.com.]
Pet Food Recall: Another Black Eye for ISO 9001's Hierarchy
April 18, 2007
by Christopher Paris
By now most of Americans have heard of the massive pet food recall,
promulgated by the introduction of tainted wheat gluten into the
supply stream of dozens of major pet food manufacturers. What
Americans haven't heard is the linkage this terrible tragedy -- which
may have killed or seriously injured tens of thousands of animals, and
resulted in the recall of over 60,000,000 cans of product -- to the
world of ISO 9001 certifications.
The wheat gluten was traced to Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology
Development Co, Ltd., a company claiming on its website to "have held
the certificates of ISO 9001:2000 international quality management
system and HACCP-EC-01 international system."
As an animal lover and an ISO 9001 advocate, I am outraged that we
have yet another instance of a breakdown in the QMS certification
scheme, resulting in death. This brings to mind the Bridgestone-
Firestone tire blowout accident fiasco, NASA's ongoing quality
problems, most dramatically pointed out by the shuttle Columbia
disaster, and numerous other cor****ate tragedies which might have been
avoided had the companies adequately implemented and maintained their
ISO 9001 quality programs.
Ridiculous? Not quite. It's safe to say that had Xuzhou Anying been
adequately following ISO 9001 rules on controlling and inspecting raw
materials and finished product, poisoned wheat gluten would never have
been released into the pet food supply stream.
Unfortunately, American consumers remain woefully undereducated and
unaware of ISO 9001. If this were not the case, consumers would
rightfully question the role ISO 9001 has to play in the ultimate
definition of "quality": preventing death. If the average consumer
knew the least bit about ISO 9001, there would be an outrage affecting
the entire ISO 9001 hierarchy: consultants, auditors, accreditors and
standards bodies. Instead -- and luckily for those involved -- there
is a shameful silence.
Almost every week Oxebridge receives a re****t or anecdote pointing to
the failure of ISO 9001 hierarchy bodies or individuals failing to
abide by the internationally-accepted rules. Consultants performing
auditing. Auditors violating ISO 19011 or registrar accreditation
rules. Accreditation bodies like JAS-ANZ or ANAB consistently failing
to enforce accreditation rules, in dread fear of impacting the ISO
9001 "market". Standards authors like TAG 176 turning a blind eye to
the world's perception of ISO 9001, convincing themselves that the
standard is well-received and in need of little change. And the IAF
and ISO sitting by silently, feigning ignorance or lack of authority,
interested only in ca****ng the checks of those buying standards or
accreditation certificates.
And all the while the American Society for Quality remains silent,
having moved on from ISO 9001 to "leveraging" (read "marketing") Six
Sigma, Lean Manufacturing or any of a dozen other fad programs, purely
for its own self-sustenance.
But let me reiterate: if all these organizations or individuals just
followed their own rules or mandates, there wouldn't be disasters like
this. Companies who were certified to ISO 9001 would be forced to
follow the standards, or be de-certified. Rogue auditors would be
fired. Incompetent accreditors would be de-accredited. Colluding
consultants would be blacklisted. TAG 176 would be forced to start
listening to its customers and improving the ISO 9001 standards. And
ISO would be held responsible for the outcome of their most lucrative
product: the ISO 9001 standard.
Preventing death or illness is the primary purpose of quality. How
many more beings on our planet have to die before those responsible
for the development and deployment of ISO 9001 simply follow their own
rules?
Shameful. Absolutely shameful.
[Christopher Paris is VP Operations of Oxebridge Quality Resources. He
recently stepped down from member****p in the US Technical Committee to
TAG 176 in protest of that organization's failure to abide by its own
bylaws and mandate. He may be reached at cparis@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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