ISO 22000 Certification: Accredited Food Safety Management System Audits
Accredited ISO 22000 certification for food manufacturers, ingredient and packaging suppliers, caterers, and food logistics firms. A senior auditor leads your Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, tests your prerequisite programs and hazard control plan where food is handled, and reports findings with evidence. You get a fixed-fee quote after a free scoping review.
What Is ISO 22000 Certification?
ISO 22000 certification is independent confirmation that a food business runs a food safety management system (FSMS) that meets ISO 22000:2018. An accredited certification body audits the system in two stages. If it conforms, the body issues a certificate for your defined sites, products, and processes.
ISO 22000 applies to any organization in the food chain. That includes farms, feed makers, processors, packaging suppliers, caterers, storage, transport, and retail. It combines three things: HACCP hazard control, prerequisite programs such as cleaning and pest control, and a management system that keeps both working.
Accredify Global is a UAF-accredited certification body under the IAF MLA framework, and ISO 22000 is in our accreditation scope. We audit your system, report findings with evidence, and make an independent certification decision. Our impartiality commitments explain how we keep audit and decision separate.
ISO 22000 in 2026: The 2018 Edition, an Amendment, and a Revision on the Way
You certify to ISO 22000:2018 today. A 2024 amendment (ISO 22000:2018/Amd 1:2024) added climate change to the issues you consider when setting the context of your system. ISO has also started revising the standard, and a new edition is in development. Until it is published, the 2018 edition with its amendment is the one auditors use.
The prerequisite program guidance changed too. The ISO 22002 series was republished in 2025 as full International Standards, replacing the older ISO/TS 22002 technical specifications. ISO 22002-100:2025 now holds the requirements common to food, feed, and packaging. FSSC 22000 Version 7 adopts these updated standards.
Sources: ISO 22000:2018 (ISO) · ISO 22000:2018/Amd 1:2024 (ISO) · ISO 22002-1:2025 (ISO)
Who Needs ISO 22000 Certification?
No law requires it. Most projects start when a buyer, retailer, or export market asks for accredited proof of food safety control.
Supplier approval for retailers and brand owners, with hazards controlled from intake to dispatch. See our food industry certification pathway.
Suppliers into food production, where customers need assurance before approving you. See our manufacturing certification pathway.
Central kitchens, hotels, and food service groups proving consistent control across sites. See hotel and restaurant certification.
Warehouses and distribution centres where temperature, pests, and segregation must be controlled. See our warehousing certification pathway.
Carriers moving chilled, frozen, or bulk food, where vehicle hygiene and temperature records are audited. See our transport and logistics pathway.
Exporters whose importers ask for accredited certificates. Shipping to the US? Pair it with CTPAT and AEO readiness for supply chain security.
ISO 22000 Requirements: Clauses 4 to 10, and What the Auditor Checks
ISO 22000 uses the same high-level structure as ISO 9001, so the clauses will look familiar. Clause 8 is where food safety is controlled.
| Clause | What ISO 22000 asks | What the auditor checks |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Context | Issues, interested parties, and the scope of the system | A scope that names sites, products, and processes, with climate change considered |
| 5. Leadership | Top management commitment, a food safety policy, and a food safety team leader | Whether leaders review food safety results and fund fixes |
| 6. Planning | Risks and opportunities, objectives, and planned changes | Measurable food safety objectives and how progress is tracked |
| 7. Support | Resources, competence, awareness, communication, and documented information | Training records, external communication with suppliers and customers, and document control |
| 8. Operation | PRPs, traceability, emergency response, hazard analysis, the hazard control plan, and verification | PRPs in practice, CCPs and OPRPs monitored, and a traceability test run during the audit |
| 9. Performance evaluation | Monitoring, analysis, internal audit, and management review | A completed internal audit and management review, with actions followed up |
| 10. Improvement | Nonconformity, corrective action, and updating the system | Root causes found, fixes checked for effect, and the system kept current |
ISO 22000 runs two Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles: one for the management system, and one inside Clause 8 for hazard control. The auditor tests both.
PRPs, OPRPs, and CCPs: The Three Layers of ISO 22000 Food Safety Control
Most ISO 22000 audit findings sit here. The standard asks you to decide which hazards each layer controls, and to prove it works.
The three layers
| Prerequisite programs (PRPs) | Basic conditions for safe food, such as cleaning, pest control, hygiene, maintenance, and supplier control |
|---|---|
| Operational PRPs (OPRPs) | Control measures for significant hazards, monitored against an action criterion |
| Critical control points (CCPs) | Steps with a measurable critical limit, such as a cooking temperature or metal detection |
Already HACCP certified? Your CCPs carry straight into the ISO 22000 hazard control plan.
What the auditor tests on site
- The hazard analysis covers every step on a verified flow diagram
- Each significant hazard is assigned to an OPRP or a CCP, with a reason
- Critical limits and action criteria are validated
- Monitoring happens as written, with calibrated equipment
- Product is held and assessed when a limit is missed
- A traceability exercise works forward and back within set time
- PRPs, including good manufacturing practices, are visible on the floor
The ISO 22000 Certification Process, Step by Step
Six stages from first call to a certificate that stays valid for three years.
Not sure whether your food safety system is ready for Stage 1? A free scoping review tells you before the auditor does.
Book a free scoping reviewWhat Makes an ISO 22000 Audit With Accredify Global Different
The outcomes buyers and food safety teams care about most.
A senior auditor with food chain experience leads every audit. They know how hazards behave in your process, not just what the clause says.
We verify flow diagrams on the floor, watch monitoring happen, and run a traceability test. A system that only works on paper won't pass.
Your quote covers the audit man-days your scope needs. There are no hidden costs after scoping.
Combine ISO 22000 with ISO 9001 quality management certification in one integrated audit, with shared management system evidence.
Cost of ISO 22000 Certification and Timeline
There is no list price. The cost of ISO 22000 certification follows the number of audit man-days your scope needs. A free scoping review gives you a tailored proposal with a fixed fee.
What sets the audit man-days
- Food chain category — farming, processing, catering, storage, or packaging
- HACCP studies — each product group or process with its own hazard analysis
- Employees — people working in the scope, across all shifts
- Sites — how many locations, and whether they share one system
- Integration — combining with ISO 9001 or another standard can save time
Accreditation rules for food safety certification bodies (ISO 22003-1) set the minimum audit time. We cannot cut man-days below it.
How long ISO 22000 certification takes
| Before Stage 1 | System running with records, plus one internal audit and management review |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 to Stage 2 | Enough time to close Stage 1 concerns; dates set in your proposal |
| After certification | Surveillance audit every year, recertification in year three |
Starting from scratch? Build the system and run it first. We can audit it once records exist.
ISO 22000 vs HACCP, FSSC 22000, GMP, and ISO 9001
Buyers use these names loosely. Check the exact wording of your requirement before you choose a route.
| Standard or scheme | What it covers | How it relates to ISO 22000 |
|---|---|---|
| HACCP | Hazard analysis and critical control points | Sits inside ISO 22000. HACCP certification is a common first step. |
| FSSC 22000 | A GFSI-benchmarked scheme | ISO 22000 plus ISO 22002 sector PRPs and extra scheme rules. Needed when a retailer asks for GFSI. |
| SQF and BRCGS | Other GFSI-benchmarked food safety schemes | Separate schemes. An ISO 22000 certificate does not replace them. |
| GMP | Good manufacturing practices | Part of the prerequisite programs ISO 22000 expects. |
| ISO 9001 | Quality management | Same clause structure, so the two integrate well in one audit. |
If your buyer names a GFSI scheme, we will tell you at scoping, before you commit to ISO 22000.
How to Choose an ISO 22000 Certification Body
The questions worth asking before you sign, and how Accredify Global answers them.
| Question to ask | Accredify Global's answer |
|---|---|
| Are you accredited for ISO 22000? | Yes. ISO 22000 is in our UAF accreditation scope, under the IAF MLA framework. Check it in the UAF directory. |
| Will the certificate satisfy my buyer? | We check your buyer's wording at scoping. If it names a GFSI scheme, we tell you first. |
| Who leads the audit? | A senior auditor with food chain experience, on every audit. |
| Will you also build our system? | No. A certification body must stay impartial, so we audit and certify but do not consult. |
| How is it priced? | A fixed-fee quote after a free scoping review, based on the audit man-days your scope needs. |
| Can buyers verify the certificate? | Yes, on our certificate verification page. |
What You Receive With ISO 22000 Certification
Issued for the sites, products, and processes in your scope.
Readiness findings to close before the on-site audit.
Findings, the evidence behind them, and what to fix first.
Listed so buyers can confirm it is genuine and current.
Surveillance and recertification dates agreed upfront.
Clear scope text for supplier approval and import checks.
Frequently Asked Questions About ISO 22000 Certification
Straight answers on requirements, HACCP, FSSC 22000, the audit process, cost, and accreditation.
What is ISO 22000 certification?
ISO 22000 certification is independent confirmation that a food business runs a food safety management system that meets ISO 22000:2018. An accredited certification body audits the system in two stages. If it conforms, the body issues a certificate for your defined scope.
What is ISO 22000?
ISO 22000 is the international standard for food safety management systems. It applies to any organization in the food chain, from farms and feed makers to processors, packaging suppliers, transport, storage, and retail. It combines HACCP, prerequisite programs, and management system requirements.
Who needs ISO 22000 certification?
No law requires ISO 22000 certification. Food manufacturers, ingredient and packaging suppliers, caterers, storage, and logistics firms usually seek it when buyers, retailers, or export markets ask for accredited proof of food safety control.
What are the ISO 22000 requirements?
ISO 22000 follows clauses 4 to 10: context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement. Clause 8 holds the food safety core. It covers prerequisite programs, traceability, emergency preparedness, hazard analysis, the hazard control plan, and verification.
What is the difference between ISO 22000 and HACCP?
HACCP is a method for controlling hazards at critical points in a process. ISO 22000 includes HACCP inside a full management system. It adds leadership, risk-based planning, prerequisite programs, internal audits, management review, and continual improvement.
What is the difference between ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000?
FSSC 22000 is a certification scheme built on ISO 22000. It adds sector-specific prerequisite program standards from the ISO 22002 series and extra scheme requirements. FSSC 22000 is benchmarked by GFSI; ISO 22000 on its own is not.
Is ISO 22000 recognized by GFSI?
No. ISO 22000 on its own is not a GFSI-benchmarked scheme. If a retailer requires GFSI certification, it will usually name FSSC 22000, SQF, BRCGS, or a similar scheme. We check your buyer's exact wording at scoping.
How do I get ISO 22000 certification?
Build and run your food safety management system, then complete an internal audit and a management review. An accredited certification body then runs a Stage 1 audit of readiness and a Stage 2 audit on site. After you close any major nonconformities, it makes the certification decision.
What is the ISO 22000 certification process?
The process runs from a free scoping review and proposal to a Stage 1 readiness audit and a Stage 2 on-site audit. Corrective actions follow, then an independent certification decision. Surveillance audits every year keep the certificate valid.
How much does ISO 22000 certification cost?
The cost of ISO 22000 certification depends on the number of audit man-days. These are set by your food chain category, the number of HACCP studies, employees, sites, and shifts. Accredify Global reviews your scope for free and sends a fixed-fee quote.
How long does ISO 22000 certification take?
It depends on how ready your system is. Before Stage 2, your system must be running with records, and you need at least one internal audit and management review. Accredify Global confirms the audit dates in your proposal.
How long is an ISO 22000 certificate valid?
An accredited ISO 22000 certificate runs on a three-year cycle. Surveillance audits take place every year, and a recertification audit is due before the certificate expires.
Is Accredify Global accredited for ISO 22000?
Yes. Accredify Global is a UAF-accredited certification body under the IAF MLA framework, with ISO 22000 food safety management in its accreditation scope. You can check our accreditation in the UAF directory.
Can Accredify Global help us build our ISO 22000 system?
No. As a certification body, we must stay impartial, so we do not design or write your food safety system. We audit it, report findings with evidence, and make the certification decision. You can use your own team or a consultant to build it.
Is ISO 22000 being revised?
Yes. ISO 22000:2018 is under revision, and a new edition is in development. A 2024 amendment added climate change considerations. The 2018 edition, with that amendment, remains the standard you certify to today.
What are prerequisite programs in ISO 22000?
Prerequisite programs (PRPs) are the basic conditions for safe food, such as cleaning, pest control, hygiene, maintenance, and supplier control. ISO 22000 asks you to select PRPs for your sector. The ISO 22002 series, updated in 2025, gives sector guidance.
Can we move from HACCP certification to ISO 22000?
Yes. Your HACCP plan and hygiene programs become part of the ISO 22000 system. You then add the management system clauses, such as leadership, internal audits, and management review, before the Stage 1 audit.
Get Accredited ISO 22000 Certification Your Buyers Will Accept
Tell us about your sites, products, and the buyer or market asking for it. We'll confirm ISO 22000 fits the requirement, recommend audit dates, and send a fixed-fee quote.
Book your free scoping review →