What ISO 22000 is and why buyers ask for it
ISO 22000 is the international standard for a Food Safety Management System (FSMS). It brings together the hazard-analysis approach of HACCP and the structure of an ISO management system, so that food safety is managed deliberately across the whole organisation rather than handled as an isolated set of controls. It applies to every link in the food chain — from primary producers and manufacturers to packaging, transport, storage and food service.
For food and beverage businesses, certification is often a condition of supply. Retailers, manufacturers and distributors increasingly require evidence that their suppliers manage food safety to a recognised standard before they will place an order. An ISO 22000 certificate provides that evidence internationally. It is one of the most-requested standards in the ISO Certifications portfolio for manufacturers and the wider food sector.
What the certification audit covers
Certification is a two-stage assessment that examines how your FSMS works in practice, including:
- Prerequisite programmes (PRPs) — the basic conditions and activities for hygiene and a safe environment
- Hazard analysis and the identification of critical control points
- Control measures and the monitoring that keeps them effective
- Traceability and the management of withdrawals or recalls
- Communication along the food chain, internally and with suppliers and customers
Surveillance audits across the three-year cycle confirm the system is maintained and improved. The emphasis throughout is on demonstrable control of food safety hazards, not paperwork for its own sake.
Climate change: since ISO’s February 2024 climate action amendment (ISO 22000:2018/Amd 1:2024), the standard requires you to determine whether climate change is a relevant issue for your organisation, and notes that interested parties can have climate-related requirements. Certification audits include it.
How ABS helps
We prepare you for the certification audit in five steps, tailored to ISO 22000:
- Scope and gap assessment — we agree the scope of your food safety management system and assess what you already have against the standard, so you know exactly what to close.
- Implementation — we help you establish prerequisite programmes, carry out the hazard analysis, define control measures and monitoring, and set up traceability, recall and food-chain communication.
- Internal audit and management review — we help you run the internal audit and management review the standard requires, so the system has a record of operating before the audit.
- Readiness check — a pre-assessment, approached the way an auditor would approach it, highlights anything still to close.
- Audit support — we support you through the certification body’s Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits and help you close any findings.
Typical timeline
For a single-site operation with food safety processes already in place, ISO 22000 certification typically takes around 10–14 weeks from kick-off, depending on scope, organisation size and the number of shifts run. Multi-site or higher-complexity operations take longer. Every engagement begins with a fixed-price scoping call, and we send a proposal within 24 hours with a firm timeline.
Common questions
What is the difference between ISO 22000 and HACCP?
HACCP is a method for identifying and controlling food safety hazards. ISO 22000 wraps HACCP principles inside a full management system — adding leadership, planning, communication, prerequisite programmes and continual improvement. ISO 22000 includes HACCP but goes further, giving you a certifiable system rather than a hazard-control plan alone.
How does ISO 22000 relate to FSSC 22000?
FSSC 22000 builds on ISO 22000, adding sector-specific prerequisite programmes and extra requirements to create a scheme recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Major retailers often specify a GFSI-recognised scheme, while ISO 22000 itself is widely accepted as a food safety management standard in its own right. Many food businesses also hold HACCP certification as the foundation beneath both.
Who needs ISO 22000?
Any organisation in the food chain — growers, processors, manufacturers, packaging producers, transport and storage providers, and food service — that wants to demonstrate it manages food safety to an international standard. It is frequently requested by customers and retailers as a condition of supply, and complements broader quality certification such as ISO 9001.
How long does ISO 22000 certification take?
For a single-site operation with food safety processes already in place, ISO 22000 certification typically takes around 10–14 weeks from kick-off, depending on scope, organisation size and the number of shifts run. Multi-site or higher-complexity operations take longer.
What does ABS do, and what does the certification body do?
ABS prepares you for certification: we agree the scope of your food safety management system, assess the gaps, help you implement it, support your internal audit and management review, check readiness and support you through the audits. The certification body, an independent, accredited organisation you choose, carries out the Stage 1, Stage 2 and surveillance audits, makes the certification decision and issues the certificate.
How long is an ISO 22000 certificate valid?
Three years. The certification body carries out surveillance audits in the first and second years, and a recertification audit before the three-year cycle ends.
Can ISO 22000 be combined with other standards?
Yes. ISO 22000 shares the harmonised structure of ISO management system standards, so it can run as one integrated management system with, for example, ISO 9001 or ISO 14001, and certification bodies can often audit them together.
Which edition of ISO 22000 is current, and is there a transition?
The current edition is ISO 22000:2018, with the climate change amendment added in 2024. There is no transition under way.
