ISO CertificationISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System (FSMS) Certification
Ensure food safety throughout the supply chain, control foodborne hazards, and build consumer confidence.
What Is ISO 22000 Certification?
ISO 22000 certification is the independent assessment of an organization's food safety management system against the requirements of ISO 22000. During certification, an external certification body evaluates whether the organization has established and implemented the required processes and controls.
The standard is applicable across different parts of the food chain. This means it can be relevant to organizations involved in food production, processing, packaging, distribution, storage, transportation, catering, and supporting activities.
A properly implemented food safety management system certification framework enables an organization to take a preventive approach to food safety. It helps businesses identify hazards before they result in an incident and establish controls that can be monitored and verified.
Communication is another important part of the system. Food safety information may need to be communicated between employees, suppliers, customers, contractors, regulators, and other relevant parties. Effective communication helps ensure that important information about hazards and controls is not overlooked.
ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System
ISO 22000:2018 provides the framework for an ISO 22000 2018 food safety management system. The standard is designed to help organizations manage food safety systematically rather than relying only on individual procedures or inspections.
A food safety management system can address areas such as:
The organization must determine the controls appropriate to its own activities and risks. A food processing facility, for example, may have very different hazards and operational controls from a food transportation or storage business.
This is why implementation should be based on the organization's actual processes rather than simply copying generic procedures.
Who Needs ISO 22000 Certification?
ISO 22000 can be used by organizations operating at different stages of the food chain. Its application is not limited to large food manufacturers.
Businesses that may benefit from ISO certification for food industry operations include:
The appropriate scope of the management system depends on what the organization actually does. The system should cover the activities, products, processes, and locations relevant to the organization's food safety responsibilities.
Key ISO 22000 Requirements
Understanding the ISO 22000 requirements is an important part of preparing for certification. The standard uses a management-system structure that requires organizations to establish processes for managing food safety risks and continually improving their system.
One of the central elements is the identification and assessment of food safety hazards. Organizations need to understand what hazards could occur within their processes and determine suitable measures for controlling them.
Prerequisite programmes are also important because they establish the basic conditions needed for maintaining a hygienic and controlled operating environment.
Organizations must also establish appropriate monitoring and verification processes. Food safety controls need to be monitored so that the organization can determine whether they are working as intended.
Other important areas include documented information, employee responsibilities, communication, emergency preparedness, corrective action, internal auditing, and management review.
The objective is to create a system that works in practice. Documentation should support the organization's operations rather than becoming paperwork that exists only for the purpose of an audit.
Benefits of ISO 22000 Certification
Implementing an ISO food safety management system can provide operational and commercial benefits for organizations in the food chain.
One of the biggest advantages is a more structured approach to food safety risk management. By identifying hazards and establishing controls, an organization can make food safety responsibilities clearer and more consistent.
Certification can also help demonstrate to customers and business partners that food safety is being managed through a recognized management-system framework.
Potential benefits include:
Businesses considering certification across multiple management-system areas can also review the broader range of ISO Certification Services available for different organizational requirements.
ISO 22000 and HACCP
HACCP is closely associated with food safety because it provides a systematic approach to identifying and controlling food safety hazards. ISO 22000 incorporates hazard-control principles within a broader management-system framework.
The two approaches should not be treated as exactly the same. HACCP primarily focuses on food safety hazard analysis and control, whereas ISO 22000 combines food safety controls with management-system requirements such as leadership, planning, communication, documented information, performance evaluation, and continual improvement.
For organizations operating in the food industry, understanding how their existing HACCP practices fit into an ISO 22000 food safety management system can be an important part of implementation.
ISO 22000 and Other Management Systems
Many organizations operate more than one management system. Food businesses may have quality, environmental, energy, occupational health and safety, information security, or product-specific requirements alongside food safety.
The management systems do not necessarily need to operate independently. Where requirements overlap, organizations can consider an integrated approach to documentation, responsibilities, auditing, corrective action, and management review.
For example, organizations involved in medical-device manufacturing have specific quality-management requirements and may consider ISO 13485 Certification where appropriate.
Information security can also be relevant to organizations that manage sensitive business, customer, supplier, or operational information. In such circumstances, ISO 27001 Certification can address information-security management alongside the organization's other management systems.
The important point is that each standard has its own purpose. Integration should make management more efficient without weakening the individual requirements of each system.
ISO 22000 Certification Process
The ISO 22000 certification process generally involves assessing the organization's existing food safety arrangements, developing or improving the management system, implementing it, conducting internal audits, and undergoing an independent certification audit.
1. Initial Assessment
The first step is to understand the organization's existing food safety practices. This includes reviewing processes, responsibilities, hazards, controls, documentation, and relevant operational activities.
A gap assessment can then identify areas that need to be developed or improved before the certification audit.
2. Food Safety Management System Development
The organization develops or updates the processes required by the standard. This may include hazard analysis, prerequisite programmes, operational controls, monitoring arrangements, communication procedures, emergency processes, and documented information.
3. Implementation
Once the system has been established, it needs to be implemented throughout the relevant operations.
Employees should understand their responsibilities, required controls should be followed, and appropriate records should be maintained.
4. Internal Audit
An internal audit allows the organization to assess whether its management system is functioning as planned.
An ISO 22000 internal auditor approach can help identify nonconformities, gaps, and opportunities for improvement before the external certification assessment.
5. Management Review
Management reviews the performance of the food safety management system. This can include reviewing audit findings, objectives, incidents, corrective actions, changes affecting the organization, and opportunities for improvement.
6. Certification Audit
An independent certification body assesses the organization's system against the applicable ISO 22000 requirements.
If the organization demonstrates conformity and addresses any applicable nonconformities, certification can be issued.
ISO 22000 Certification Cost
The ISO 22000 certification cost varies depending on the organization and its certification scope. There is no universal price because certification requirements differ according to factors such as:
There may also be costs associated with system development, consultancy, training, internal audits, documentation, and certification audits.
For this reason, businesses should assess their specific circumstances before estimating the overall investment required for certification.
ISO 22000 Certification for Food Businesses
For a food business, obtaining certification should be about more than receiving a certificate. The real value comes from establishing a system that employees can follow and management can monitor.
Food safety controls should be integrated into normal operations. Employees should know what they need to do, management should be able to review performance, and problems should be investigated and corrected.
The organization should also review its food safety system whenever significant changes occur. New products, suppliers, equipment, facilities, processes, or other changes may introduce new hazards or affect existing controls.
For organizations that also want to strengthen manufacturing and hygiene-related practices, GMP Certification can be considered as part of a broader quality and operational-control strategy.
ISO 22000 and Energy Management
Energy consumption can be an important operational consideration in food manufacturing and processing. Refrigeration, heating, processing, storage, and other activities can require significant amounts of energy.
Organizations looking to manage energy performance alongside food safety may consider ISO 50001 Certification.
ISO 50001 and ISO 22000 address different areas: one focuses on energy management, while the other focuses on food safety. However, organizations may integrate aspects of their management systems where doing so is practical.
This can help avoid unnecessary duplication in areas such as documentation, internal audits, management reviews, objectives, and continual improvement.
Why Choose MSR Assessment for ISO 22000 Certification?
Choosing appropriate certification support can make the ISO implementation process easier to understand and manage. MSR Assessment supports organizations in working through certification requirements and developing management systems that reflect their actual operations.
A practical approach is particularly important for food businesses because food safety systems need to work at the operational level.
Instead of relying on generic documentation, organizations should establish processes that correspond with their actual products, activities, hazards, workforce, facilities, and business requirements.
This helps make the management system useful beyond the certification audit and supports continual improvement over time.
Maintaining ISO 22000 Certification
Obtaining certification is not the final step. Organizations need to continue operating and improving their food safety management system after certification.
Regular internal audits, monitoring, corrective action, management reviews, employee awareness, and evaluation of food safety performance all contribute to maintaining an effective system.
Organizations should also consider changes that could affect food safety. Changes to suppliers, ingredients, production methods, equipment, facilities, products, or applicable requirements may require the organization to reassess its controls.
Continual improvement is an important part of an effective food safety management system certification approach. The goal is to ensure that the system continues to remain suitable and effective as the organization develops.