ISO 9001:2015 is the international standard for quality management systems (QMS). It defines requirements for consistently meeting customer and applicable regulatory requirements, built on the process approach, the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and risk-based thinking. Like other ISO management standards, it follows the High Level Structure (clauses 4–10).
ISO 9001 does not certify products and does not address food safety hazards — that is the role of HACCP-based systems and GFSI schemes. In B2B food supply, a certified QMS is nevertheless valued as evidence of management maturity: document control, complaint handling, supplier evaluation and continual improvement are exactly the processes buyers probe during supplier assessments.
