Understand ISO 22000 and food safety requirements
ISO 22000 is an international standard for food safety management systems. The standard helps businesses in the food and feed industries take a systematic approach to risk, quality and control across the entire value chain.
Food safety requires control throughout the value chain
Food safety is not just about access to the right nutrition. It is also about ensuring that food is handled, processed, produced, stored and packaged in a way that protects consumers from contamination and illness.
In the food industry, control and quality are an integral part of production. Requirements apply from the procurement of raw materials to finished production, and onwards through packaging and storage. ISO 22000 provides businesses with an internationally recognised framework for establishing and maintaining a management system that supports consistent and correct food handling.
The standard is aimed at businesses working with food, animal feed and packaging for food and feed.
How ISO 22000 helps your business
ISO 22000 is designed to help businesses control risks relating to food safety. This can include preventing contamination, ensuring proper hygiene, controlling critical processes and reducing the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks.
Certification demonstrates that the business takes a systematic approach to food safety and has procedures that can be documented and verified. This strengthens risk management, consumer confidence and cooperation with customers and partners who have requirements for quality and traceability.
ISO 22000 is globally recognised and used by more than 100,000 food-producing businesses worldwide. This makes the standard relevant to businesses that operate internationally or want to demonstrate credible quality to the market.
Understand the difference between ISO 22000, FSSC 22000 and HACCP
ISO 22000 is often associated with other food safety concepts. FSSC 22000 stands for Food Safety System Certification and is based on ISO 22000. FSSC 22000 also encompasses GFSI, the Global Food Safety Initiative, which is an industry-driven collaboration platform for globally recognised food safety certification programmes.
GFSI does not have its own certification, but serves as a common benchmark for standards such as FSSC 22000. The aim is to ensure that certification programmes meet a common international level.
FSSC 22000 also includes principles from HACCP, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. HACCP is about identifying, assessing and controlling risks in food production through seven principles. In Denmark, the HACCP principles form part of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration’s guidance on mandatory own-check procedures.
- ISO 22000: International standard for food safety management systems.
- FSSC 22000: Certification scheme based on ISO 22000.
- GFSI: Globally recognised benchmark for certification programmes.
- HACCP: Method for assessing and controlling risks in food production.
- Own-check procedures: Mandatory controls in Denmark, based in part on HACCP principles.
- Critical points: Factors such as temperature, hygiene and pest prevention that must be properly controlled.
A standard that signals quality and responsibility
ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 send a clear signal that the business takes a structured approach to food safety and accepts responsibility for critical production processes. This can strengthen trust among customers, business partners and consumers alike.
For many food producers, working with ISO 22000 will also support compliance with national and international requirements. Certification does not necessarily replace legal requirements, but it helps the business document that food safety is managed systematically and consistently.
In an industry with stringent requirements for quality, traceability and responsible production, ISO 22000 can therefore be an important tool for both risk management and market access.
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