ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 specifies requirements and guidelines for the design, implementation, and documentation of prerequisite programmes (PRPs) that maintain a hygienic environment and assist in controlling food safety hazards in the food chain.

ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 is applicable to all organizations (including individual farms or groups of farms), regardless of size or complexity, which are involved in farming steps of the food chain and wish to implement PRPs in accordance with ISO 22000:2005, 7.2. If an organization is using ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 as a reference for the purpose of making a self-declaration of conformity with or seeking certification to ISO 22000:2005, deviations therefrom (i.e. where exclusions are made or alternative measures are implemented) need to be justified and documented. It is expected that such deviations will not affect the ability of the organization to comply with the requirements of ISO 22000.

ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 is applicable to the farming of crops (e.g. cereals, fruits, vegetables), living farm animals (e.g. cattle, poultry, pigs, fish) and the handling of their products (e.g. milk, eggs). It is not applicable to activities such as picking of wild fruits, vegetables and mushrooms, fishing, hunting, which are not considered as organized farming activities.

All operations related to farming are included in the scope (e.g. sorting, cleaning, packing of unprocessed products, on-farm feed manufacturing, transport within the farm). However, ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 is not applicable to processing activities carried out on farm premises (e.g. heating, smoking, curing, maturing, fermenting, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion or a combination of those processes). Neither is ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 applicable to products or animals that are being transported to or from the farm.

Farming operations are diverse in nature according to size, type of products, production methods, geographical and biological environment, related statutory and regulatory requirements etc. Therefore, the need, intensity and nature of PRPs will differ between organizations. Established PRPs can also change as the result of the review procedures stated in ISO 22000:2005, 8.2. ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 focuses on the requirements for the management of PRPs, while the design of the exact PRPs is left to the user. The management of PRPs includes assessment of the need, selection of measures that meet the identified needs and required records. The specific examples of PRPs listed in ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 are intended for guidance only, and are aimed for application with due regard to the overall objective of producing food which is safe and suitable for consumption.

It is possible for ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 to be applied by other organizations willing to develop codes of practice and other types of supplier-buyer relationship based on ISO 22000.