Standards Development: Building the Future of Food Safety
What Is Standards Development?
Most certification bodies apply standards created by others. PJRFSI goes further. As an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer (ASD), PJRFSI is formally authorized by the American National Standards Institute to create American National Standards from the ground up, a designation earned through demonstrated organizational rigor, procedural transparency, and a commitment to genuine stakeholder consensus.
Standards development is distinct from certification. Where certification verifies that an organization meets an existing standard, standards development is the process of creating those frameworks in the first place. PJRFSI’s role as an ASD means it participates at the foundational level of food and cannabis safety, not simply applying standards developed elsewhere, but contributing to the body of standards the entire industry relies on.
Why It Matters to Your Organization
Standards built through ANSI’s Essential Requirements carry a level of credibility that unilateral or informal guidance cannot match. They are developed with documented input from producers, processors, regulators, and technical experts. They go through formal public comment periods. And they are subject to independent ANSI oversight before adoption.
For food and cannabis organizations, that process matters because the resulting standards are recognized by regulators, buyers, and accreditation bodies as reflecting genuine industry consensus, not the preferences of any single organization. When PJRFSI certifies to a standard it helped develop, both the certification and the standard behind it carry that credibility.
PJRFSI’s Standards Development Programs
PJRFSI has applied its ANSI accreditation to develop standards in two areas where credible, independently developed frameworks were most needed:
- Food safety standards addressing emerging risks, regulatory requirements, and gaps in existing certification frameworks
- Cannabis and hemp safety standards PJRFSI made history as the first certification body in the United States to receive ANAB accreditation for a cannabis certification program
Each standard undergoes a formal process including public comment periods, balanced stakeholder committee review, and ANSI oversight, ensuring the result is fit for real-world certification programs.
Why Choose PJRFSI for Standards Development?
PJRFSI brings over a decade of food safety certification experience to every standards development project. That operational background means the standards PJRFSI develops are grounded in how food and cannabis businesses actually work and not built in isolation from the industry they serve. As both a certification body and an ANSI-accredited developer, PJRFSI is uniquely positioned to ensure that the standards it creates are not only credible but practical.
Get Involved
Standards are only as strong as the stakeholder participation behind them. PJRFSI actively welcomes input from industry professionals, producers, regulators, academics, and consumer representatives. To learn more about current projects or how to participate, visit the Current Projects and Get Involved pages, or contact PJRFSI directly at 1-855-757-7374.
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