ISO 22000 Certification

ISO 22000 certification helps organizations establish a Food Safety Management System that controls food safety hazards, strengthens operational processes and builds confidence across the food supply chain.

What is ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System?

ISO 22000 is the internationally recognized standard for Food Safety Management Systems. It provides a structured framework for organizations to identify, evaluate and control food safety hazards across the food supply chain.

The standard combines management system principles with HACCP-based food safety control, prerequisite programmes, risk-based thinking, communication, traceability and continual improvement.

WECERT provides independent ISO 22000 certification services for organizations seeking to demonstrate conformity, strengthen food safety performance and build confidence with customers, regulators and supply chain partners.

Context of the Organization

Understand internal and external issues, interested parties, scope and Food Safety Management System processes.

Leadership

Define food safety policy, responsibilities, communication, leadership commitment and accountability for food safety.

Planning

Address risks and opportunities, food safety objectives, change planning and actions to control food safety hazards.

Support

Manage resources, competence, awareness, communication and documented information required for the Food Safety Management System.

Operation

Control prerequisite programmes, traceability, emergency preparedness, hazard analysis, control measures, CCPs and OPRPs.

Performance Evaluation

Monitor food safety performance, evaluate verification results, conduct internal audits and perform management review.

Improvement

Address nonconformities, corrective actions, system updates and continual improvement of food safety performance.

ISO 22000 Covers the Entire Food Supply Chain

ISO 22000 applies to organizations at every stage of the food supply chain—from primary production and feed manufacturing to food processing, packaging, storage, distribution, retail, food service and the final consumer.

Primary Production

Typical Organizations

  • Fruit farms
  • Vegetable farms
  • Livestock farms
  • Aquaculture

Feed

Typical Organizations

  • Feed mills
  • Feed ingredients
  • Feed additives
  • Animal feed suppliers

Food Processing

Typical Organizations

  • Dairy processing
  • Meat and poultry
  • Bakery and confectionery
  • Beverage production

Packaging

Typical Organizations

  • Food packaging materials
  • Food-contact containers
  • Labels and printed packaging
  • Packaging suppliers

Storage

Typical Organizations

  • Cold storage facilities
  • Warehouses
  • Frozen food storage
  • Raw material storage

Distribution

Typical Organizations

  • Food logistics
  • Refrigerated transport
  • Importers & exporters
  • Wholesale distributors

Retail

Typical Organizations

  • Supermarkets
  • Food markets
  • Grocery retailers
  • Retail supply chains

Food Service

Typical Organizations

  • Restaurants
  • Hotels
  • Catering companies
  • Central kitchens

Consumer

Typical Organizations

  • Safe food
  • Product confidence
  • Consumer protection
  • Public health

ISO 22000 helps organizations identify food safety hazards, implement effective controls and deliver safe food throughout the supply chain.

Internationally Recognized Food Safety Management System

Why ISO 22000 Certification Matters

Organizations throughout the food supply chain are expected to consistently produce safe food while meeting customer, regulatory and international market requirements.

ISO 22000 provides a structured Food Safety Management System that helps organizations identify food safety hazards, implement effective controls, improve traceability and demonstrate continual improvement.

Certification demonstrates your commitment to food safety, strengthens customer confidence and supports access to domestic and international markets.

Benefits of ISO 22000 – Food Safety Management System Certification

Improved Food Safety Control

Identify, evaluate and control food safety hazards through structured management system and HACCP-based processes.

Strengthen Consumer Confidence

Demonstrate commitment to safe food production, responsible handling and internationally recognized food safety practices.

Support Regulatory Compliance

Manage applicable food safety requirements, customer specifications and legal obligations through a documented system.

Improve Process Control

Strengthen operational control over production, hygiene, traceability, monitoring, verification and corrective actions.

Enhance Supply Chain Confidence

Improve supplier control, communication, traceability and confidence among customers, regulators and supply chain partners.

Support Continual Improvement

Use monitoring, internal audits, verification results and management review to improve food safety performance over time.

Who Needs ISO 22000 Certification?

ISO 22000 can be implemented by organizations of any size involved directly or indirectly in the food supply chain. It is suitable for organizations that produce, process, package, store, transport, distribute or serve food products.

The standard can be applied to food manufacturers, beverage producers, dairy companies, meat and poultry processors, seafood organizations, bakeries, confectionery producers, food ingredient suppliers, packaging providers, storage facilities, logistics providers, catering companies, restaurants, hotels, retailers and other organizations supporting the food chain.

ISO 22000 is flexible and can be adapted to the organization’s products, processes, food safety hazards, operational risks and customer requirements.

How WECERT Helps You Achieve ISO 22000 Certification

Understand Your Food Safety Scope

WECERT reviews your organization’s activities, products, processes, locations and certification objectives to define the appropriate ISO 22000 certification approach.

Independent Food Safety Assessment

Following a successful certification decision, your organization receives an ISO 22000 certificate and enters the certification cycle supported by periodic surveillance audits.

Achieve ISO 22000 Certification

Following a successful certification decision, WECERT issues your ISO 22000 certificate. Your organization then enters the three-year certification cycle supported by annual surveillance audits and continual certification oversight.

Why Choose WECERT for ISO 22000 Certification?

Independent Certification

Certification activities are conducted through impartial and evidence-based conformity assessment processes.

Competent Audit Teams

Auditors are assigned based on competence, food sector knowledge and applicable food safety requirements.

Clear Certification Process

Organizations receive clear guidance from application through certification decision and surveillance audits.

Food Sector Understanding

Audits consider your organization’s products, processes, hazards, prerequisite programmes and operational context.

Internationally Aligned Practices

Certification activities are delivered according to recognized management system certification principles.

Improvement-Focused Audits

Audits support conformity while helping organizations identify opportunities to improve food safety performance.

Still have questions? We have answered the most common questions organizations ask before applying for FSMS certification.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About ISO 22000 Certification

If you are considering ISO 22000 certification for the first time or transferring an existing certificate, the following questions address common topics organizations ask before starting their food safety certification journey.

ISO 22000 certification confirms that an organization has implemented a Food Safety Management System designed to identify, control and manage food safety hazards across its relevant food chain activities.

Yes. ISO 22000 can be applied by organizations of any size, provided the system is appropriate to the organization’s activities, products, processes and food safety risks.

ISO 22000 is suitable for organizations involved in food production, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, catering, retail and other activities connected to the food supply chain.

Yes. ISO 22000 includes HACCP-based hazard control principles together with prerequisite programmes, management system requirements, communication, traceability and continual improvement.

HACCP focuses on identifying and controlling food safety hazards, while ISO 22000 provides a complete Food Safety Management System that includes HACCP, prerequisite programmes, management responsibility, documentation, internal audits and continual improvement.

ISO 22000 is an international Food Safety Management System standard. FSSC 22000 is a certification scheme based on ISO 22000, sector-specific prerequisite programmes and additional scheme requirements.

The certification timeline depends on the organization’s size, number of sites, complexity of operations, food safety risks, documentation readiness and implementation maturity.

ISO 22000 certification is normally valid for three years, subject to successful surveillance audits during the certification cycle and recertification before expiry.

Yes. ISO 22000 can be integrated with other management system standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001 where relevant to the organization’s activities.

A consultant is not mandatory. Organizations may implement ISO 22000 internally or with external support, but certification must be performed by an independent certification body.

Related Food Safety Standards

While ISO 9001 provides the foundation for quality management, many industries require additional sector-specific standards. Explore internationally recognized quality management certifications offered by WECERT.

Ready to Start Your

ISO 22000 Certification Journey?

Whether your organization is implementing ISO 22000 for the first time or transferring an existing certificate, WECERT can support your certification journey through competent, independent and internationally aligned food safety certification services.