Understanding ISO 22000: A U.S. Perspective on Certification Requirements

The ISO 22000 standard has been very well received and has been adopted globally, especially in Europe and Asia, with more than 25,000 companies certified worldwide. However, these figures do not reflect companies that have adopted FSSC 22000 principles and would probably meet the necessary audit requirements. These companies are, for all intents and purposes, following ISO 22000 to the letter. In the future, ISO 22000 may continue to grow, although there have been some growing pains associated with the revised standard. As noted, the overall data show greater acceptance of the ISO 22000 standard in Europe and Asia, but many multi-nationals based in the United States have elected to adopt the FSSC 22000 audit scheme. Among their reasons are the lack of prescription and an emphasis that is not just on whether a processor has established a procedure, but also on whether the protocol is truly effective. This is the ultimate goal of third-party audits. Another benefit that has been seen by companies of all sizes is that the adoption of FSSC 22000 has provided a management system that allows the company to grow and improve.

ISO 22000:2018 certification is a well-defined process. The company applies to an ISO certification organization and defines the overall scope of the certification. There is an initial review that verifies that the basic components are in place, followed by a certification audit. After all non-conformities are resolved, the company is certified, subject to surveillance audits and re-certification every three years. As part of the preparation for the certification process, the company should follow the standard and be sure that they have all of the components of the food safety management program established, documented, and up to date.

Future revisions of ISO 22000 may focus on closing the gap between FSSC and ISO 22000 and, perhaps, ultimately eliminating the need for two separate programs.

The authors gratefully acknowledge the comments and suggestions of Steve Cornish at the American National Standards Institute.

Stier, industry co-editor of Food Quality & Safety, is a consulting food scientist with international experience. Reach him at [email protected]. Dr. Dickson is a professor in the department of animal science at Iowa State University in Ames and a member of the Food Quality & Safety editorial advisory board. Reach him at [email protected].