ISO 22000 – Food safety
ISO 22000 sets out how a business organises food safety systematically. It brings together three building blocks: the structure of a management system, the prerequisite programmes of good hygiene practice (GHP) and hazard analysis to HACCP. It applies to the whole chain. From animal feed through packaging to transport, anyone involved can be certified.
The structure follows the same framework as ISO 9001. If you know that standard, you will find your way around quickly. The difference lies at the heart of the standard. This is not about customer satisfaction, it is about making sure nobody comes to harm. That shifts the yardstick noticeably. A nonconformity is then not an annoyance, it is a risk.
Who it applies to
- Manufacturers and processors of food, animal feed and ingredients
- Suppliers without direct product contact: packaging, cleaning agents, plant engineering, logistics
- Businesses whose customers demand a recognised standard but do not prescribe a particular one
- Companies with several sites that need one shared approach instead of ten separate HACCP concepts
Where it usually goes wrong
Too many critical control points
Out of caution, everything is declared a CCP. That looks thorough, but it is the quickest route to a system nobody can control. Every CCP drags a chain behind it: monitoring, critical limit, record, corrective action, verification. That applies to each one, every day, on every shift.
A system with twelve CCPs is no safer than one with three. It is only more expensive and more prone to error. In the audit it shows up as gaps in the records. Do the hazard analysis properly and you usually get by with few control points. The rest is controlled through prerequisite programmes and operational measures.
Prerequisite programmes and HACCP get mixed up
Basic hygiene belongs in the prerequisite programmes (PRP). Cleaning and disinfection, pest control, personal hygiene, maintenance, training. These are the basic conditions for running the operation. They are not assessed product by product, they are implemented reliably and monitored.
In many systems the two run into each other. Hand hygiene then sits as a hazard in the same table as a foreign body risk in a particular recipe. The analysis gets long and hard to follow. The real hazards are lost in it. A clean separation makes both parts shorter and considerably more robust.
Validation and verification get confused
The two terms sound similar and mean something entirely different. Validation answers the question of whether a measure is suitable at all. Verification answers whether it is actually being applied.
In many systems we only find the second. The temperature is dutifully measured and documented, often without a gap for years. What is missing is the evidence that the chosen critical limit is the right one. Where does it come from? A study, a manufacturer's specification, your own trial series? Without that basis, the business measures very precisely against a value nobody can justify.
How we support you
We start by taking stock. In the food sector there is almost always a HACCP concept in place already, often because a retailer asked for it. The route to ISO 22000 is then shorter than expected. What is usually missing are the management parts: context, leadership, objectives, internal audits, review.
After that we tidy up the hazard analysis and separate it cleanly from the prerequisite programmes. You will find details of how we work under Building a management system and Internal audits & gap analyses. To see which other sectors we look after, go to Industries.
Who handles this at our end
Marion Rammé – IRCA certified and registered QMS / EMS / OHSMS Lead Auditor #01194927
ISO 22000 and GHP are part of her competence profile, together with sector experience in food supply.
Unlike ISO 9001, this standard is covered by one person here. We say that openly. For you it means the same contact throughout, but no equivalent cover in-house if she is unavailable for a longer period. On larger projects we plan for that from the outset. The team in detail
Related standards
- ISO 21469 – lubricants with incidental product contact, a very common combination
- ISO 9001 – quality management, same underlying structure
- ISO/IEC 17025 – for food laboratories and in-house test facilities
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to reach certification?
With a HACCP concept that is genuinely lived, expect four to eight months. Without any groundwork, more like eight to twelve. The time needed depends less on us than on your people. Hazard analysis and prerequisite programmes have to come from the staff who run the processes every day.
What does it cost?
Projects of this kind typically range between 10,000 and 50,000 euros. What decides it is the size of the operation, the number of sites, the range of products and how mature the existing HACCP system is. The certification body's fees are charged separately.
Does ISO 22000 replace IFS or BRCGS?
As a rule, no. If you supply German or British food retailers, you usually need exactly the standard your customer asks for. ISO 22000 is more widely recognised internationally and is often the better fit for suppliers without retail pressure. In substance the standards overlap heavily. A good foundation carries in both directions.
We already have HACCP. Is that not enough?
HACCP is a legal requirement and the core of hazard control. ISO 22000 puts a management framework around it. That includes responsibilities, communication along the chain, emergency preparedness, internal audits and management review. Your HACCP concept stays in place and usually only needs sharpening.
What records do we need?
Among other things you need the scope, the food safety policy, the objectives and the documented hazard analysis. Then come the prerequisite programmes, the HACCP plan with critical limits and their validation, and the monitoring records. On top of that: traceability, recall tests, training records, internal audits and the management review.
Let us talk about it
The first conversation is free and without obligation.