FSSC 22000 food safety

FSSC 22000 certification is a global food safety management standard that combines ISO 22000 with industry-specific requirements. It ensures companies identify, control, and reduce food safety risks across the supply chain. Certification demonstrates compliance with international regulations and improves trust with customers and retailers.

The increasing globalisation of the food supply chain has brought with it the challenges of producing products that are safe to consume. Consequently, food safety is now a truly global concern as it is common for processed food to contain ingredients from multiple countries.

The FSSC 22000 certification scheme meets the requirements of the international food sector for an independent ISO-based food safety scheme. The Food Safety Management Systems cover the processing, manufacture and handling of a wide range of foods. Since the first version of the FSSC 22000 Scheme was published in 2009, more than 16,000 sites have been certified.

Based on International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) standards, FSSC 22000 is a food safety scheme recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). The European Food and Drink Association (CIAA) and the American Groceries Manufacturing Association (GMA) are among the organisations that support it.

FSSC 22000 food safety certification is important because it ensures consistent control of food safety hazards across the supply chain. It demonstrates compliance with global standards, strengthens consumer trust, and reduces risks of contamination, recalls, and noncompliance with regulatory requirements. 

The Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000 scheme meets the requirements of the international food sector for an independent ISO-based food safety scheme. The Food Safety Management Systems cover the processing, manufacturing, and handling of a wide range of foods. Since the first version of the FSSC 22000 Scheme was published in 2009, more than 17,000 sites have been certified.

Certification demonstrates that your company has a robust and effective food safety management system in place, and it is often mandated by purchasers within the supply chain. Based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards, FSSC 22000 is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized food safety scheme, and is also supported by the European Food and Drink Association (CIAA) and the American Groceries Manufacturing Association (GMA), opening up the global market for food producers and associated businesses. 

• Years of experience: TÜV SÜD has more than 15 years of experience in food and feed management systems certification and was one of the first certification bodies acting in this field.  
• International presence: TÜV SÜD’s global network of FSSC 22000 auditors provides the assurance that a formalized and structured approach to attaining certification is applied without bias, ensuring that audit approaches are consistent, regardless of product or country of production. 
• Expert partnership: With in-depth experience in food testing, inspection, auditing and certification, TÜV SÜD is globally recognized as a trusted brand throughout the food industry value chain.
• Dedicated account manager: Enjoy the convenience of having a single point of contact with a dedicated account manager who ensures your audit project is managed efficiently and delivered on time.

Want to expand your business globally? Find out how our experts can help you. 

TÜV SÜD’s international network of food testing laboratories, inspectors and auditors deliver local support with global expertise. This will assist you in the development and improvement of your food safety management system (FSMS), helping to keep the supply chain safe wherever your operations are based. 

The 3-year audit cycle includes 2 surveillance audits, of which one must be unannounced, while the initial and re-certification audits are always announced. The audit process includes a site inspection, as well as an assessment of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) systems, prerequisite programs, and relevant documentation and processes. TÜV SÜD’s auditors will also interview operators and responsible persons within the company in order to assess food safety knowledge. 

Upgrade your ISO 22000 certification to FSSC 22000 

ISO 22000 is an international food safety management standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization. It defines requirements for organizations in the food chain to ensure food safety from production to consumption. It combines HACCP principles with ISO 9001 structure to manage food safety risks effectively. 

Many organizations start with ISO 22000 to establish a strong food safety management system (FSMS). When suppliers or customers require GFSI compliance, they upgrade to FSSC 22000 by adding the required prerequisite programs (PRPs) and additional FSSC elements. The upgrade usually involves an integrated audit where the auditor verifies compliance with both ISO 22000 and the FSSC-specific extensions. 

Food companies already certified against ISO 22000, a GFSI recognized scheme, or the Dutch HACCP only need a transition audit to meet FSSC 22000.

We can help you transition to FSSC 22000 if you want to gain GFSI recognition which is accepted by most of the largest brands and retailers. The transition can be made at aaudit in your three-year cycle and will result in a new FSSC certificate.

Our services support the following areas:

Animal farming - FSSC 22000 integrates ISO 22000 principles with sector-specific prerequisites (such as ISO/TS 22002-6 for animal feed production). This ensures comprehensive control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards in feed and farming operations.

Food manufacturing- FSSC 22000 certification provides a comprehensive framework that not only ensures food safety but also enhances operational performance, customer confidence, and regulatory compliance.

Feed and pet food production - The feed and pet food production industry plays a critical role in the global food chain, and FSSC 22000 certification provides a structured, internationally recognized framework to ensure safety, quality, and consistency across these operations.

Biochemical (the production of food and feed additives) - FSSC 22000 integrates ISO 22000’s risk-based food safety management approach with ISO/TS 22002-1 (for food manufacturing) or ISO/TS 22002-6 (for feed production). These standards address contamination risks specific to biochemical production such as microbial contamination, cross-contamination, and chemical residues from fermentation, extraction, or purification.

Packaging - FSSC 22000 integrates ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management) with ISO/TS 22002-4, which is tailored specifically for food packaging manufacturing. This combination ensures robust management of risks such as contamination from inks, adhesives, lubricants, or contact materials

Catering- FSSC 22000 certification provides a powerful and structured framework for ensuring food safety, quality, and trust in the catering industry, where food is prepared and served directly to consumers. This includes restaurants, hotel kitchens, institutional caterers, airline and cruise catering, and event food service operations.

Distribution (retail, wholesale) - FSSC 22000 enforces systematic monitoring of temperature, humidity, hygiene, and product segregation during storage and transport, especially for perishable or allergen-sensitive foods. FSSC 22000 requires detailed traceability systems, ensuring rapid recall and isolation of unsafe products which is critical in large-scale distribution and retail operations.

Transport and storage services (both perishable and ambient stable food and feed) - FSSC 22000 integrates ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management) with ISO/TS 22002-5, the prerequisite program (PRP) specific to transport and storage. This combination ensures robust control over hazards such as temperature abuse, cross-contamination, pest infestation, and packaging damage.

• Access global markets - Certification is accepted by major retailers and manufacturers worldwide and is often required as a condition to become a supplier
• Achieve regulatory compliance - Meet international food safety laws and requirements
• Reduce risks - Identify and control potential hazards across your supply chain
• Increase brand trust - Enhance your reputation as a safe and reliable food producer
• Improve customer satisfaction - Deliver products and reliable services that consistently meet customer requirements
• Reduce audit fatigue - As an ISO-based scheme, FSSC 22000 can be combined with other ISO standards through integrated audits reducing the number of audits