ISO 22000 certification (Food Safety Management)

ISO 22000 is the international standard for food safety management systems. It helps organisations manage food safety risks systematically and deliver safe products or services within the food supply chain.

It combines management system requirements with HACCP principles and continual improvement.

ISO 22000 is a voluntary international standard, and certification is usually not a legal requirement. However, it may be required or offer an advantage in customer agreements, supplier selection, tenders and international trade.

No. ISO 22000 builds on HACCP principles and integrates them into a wider food safety management system.

It addresses operational food safety controls alongside leadership, planning, communication, evaluation and continual improvement.

The standard applies to organisations throughout the food supply chain: producers, processors, packers, transport and storage providers, retailers, feed producers, packaging manufacturers and services such as cleaning, tank cleaning and pest control.

ISO 22000 is the international standard for food safety management systems. FSSC 22000 is a certification scheme that builds on ISO 22000 with additional requirements, including sector-specific prerequisite programmes and scheme requirements.

The right route depends on your customers, market, activities and certification needs.

Review your current food safety management system, processes, hazards, controls, legal obligations and intended certification scope.

Bureau Veritas discusses your organisation, activities, sites and scope with you before preparing a certification proposal.

The auditor assesses whether your food safety management system meets the standard’s requirements and works effectively in practice.

Key areas include:

• your organisation’s context;
• food safety policy and objectives;
• hazard analysis and control measures;
• HACCP principles and prerequisite programmes;
• legal and customer requirements;
• communication within the food supply chain;
• traceability and control of Non Conformities;
• monitoring, verification and validation;
• internal audits and management review;
• continual improvement.

ISO 22000 follows a three-year certification cycle. The Certification Audit consists of Stage 1 and Stage 2. Annual or six-monthly Surveillance Audits then assess continued conformity. A Recertification Audit starts the next three-year cycle.

Stage 1 / Initial Audit

The auditor reviews your scope, documentation, food safety processes, hazard analysis, prerequisite programmes, internal audits, management review and relevant legal and customer requirements to assess readiness for Stage 2.

Stage 2 / Main Audit

The auditor assesses implementation and effectiveness through interviews, process assessments and reviews of records, traceability, controls and responses to Non Conformities.

Following a successful audit and Technical Review, Bureau Veritas can issue your ISO 22000 certificate.

A certificate is usually valid for three years, provided your organisation continues to meet the standard’s requirements. Surveillance Audits take place during the cycle. A Recertification Audit is required at the end of the cycle to renew certification.

Yes. Their shared harmonised structure supports integration with ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety.

This helps organisations with several standards build one consistent, efficient management system.

Costs depend on your organisation’s size, sites, scope, operational complexity and how developed your management system is. Bureau Veritas reviews these factors and provides a tailored quotation.

Yes. We review your certificate, audit reports, scope and schedule to plan the transfer without unnecessary disruption to your current certification cycle.