Industry
ISO Certification for the Food and Food Products Industry
In food and food products, retail buyers and the national food regulator both audit the same plant, usually to different schemes. We work out which standard satisfies the party asking, then take you to the certificate.
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- Standards that apply
- 15
- Practice areas
- 9
- Delivery
- Onsite, remote, hybrid
Standards that apply to food and food products
15 standards across 9 practice areas. Hover any card to see how that standard applies in this sector, or open it for the full detail.
- Quality ManagementISO 9001ISO 9001 Quality Management SystemHow it applies here
- Environmental ManagementISO 14001ISO 14001 Environmental Management SystemHow it applies here
- Health & SafetyISO 45001ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management SystemHow it applies here
- Medical DevicesSFDASaudi Food and Drug Authority ApprovalHow it applies here
- Food SafetyISO 22000ISO 22000 Food Safety Management SystemHow it applies here
- Food SafetyHACCPHACCP Food Safety SystemHow it applies here
- Food SafetyFSSC 22000FSSC 22000 Food Safety System CertificationHow it applies here
- Food SafetyBRCBRC Global StandardsHow it applies here
- Laboratory AccreditationISO/IEC 17025ISO/IEC 17025 Testing and Calibration LaboratoriesHow it applies here
- Social ResponsibilitySA8000SA8000 Social AccountabilityHow it applies here
- Social ResponsibilitySEDEXSedex and SMETA Audit ReadinessHow it applies here
- BIS CertificationBIS ISI Mark CertificationBIS ISI Mark CertificationHow it applies here
- Audits & TrainingISO LA TrainingISO Lead Auditor TrainingHow it applies here
- Audits & TrainingISO TrainingISO Awareness and Implementation TrainingHow it applies here
- Audits & TrainingInternal Audits and Gap AnalysisInternal Audits and Gap AnalysisHow it applies here
Quick question about food and food products certification? Message us and get an answer today.
Why expert advice is worth having
Most food and food products organisations are further along than they think. The difficulty is turning what you already do into evidence an auditor accepts.
It has to survive after we leave
A certification in food and food products system that only works while a consultant is on site fails its first surveillance audit. We build it so your own people can run it, and train them to do so.
Experience across sectors
Having implemented certification in food and food products in very different operating environments, we can tell you quickly which of your worries are real and which are inherited from someone else's situation.
Auditors ask for particular evidence
Someone who has sat through hundreds of certification in food and food products audits knows which records get requested first and which answers collapse under a follow up question. That knowledge is only earned in the room.
A date you can actually commit to
Knowing which parts of certification in food and food products can be compressed and which cannot is the difference between meeting a tender deadline and explaining why you missed it.
What certification is worth in food and food products
The return usually shows up in three places: work you can now bid for, cost you stop losing, and trust you no longer have to argue for.
Retailer listing eligibility
Supermarket and quick service buyers require a recognised food safety certificate before a supplier code is issued, regardless of how good the product tastes.
Fewer consignment rejections
Verified allergen, labelling and microbiological controls reduce the border and depot rejections that turn a profitable export order into a written off container.
Contained recall risk
Batch coding and mass balance discipline let you recall one production run and one distribution route instead of every pack sold that month.
Credible export documentation
Overseas importers and their authorities expect documented hygiene control, and certification supports the health and process attestations that accompany a shipment.
Working to a deadline on food and food products certification? Send us the date.
Send us the detailsSee the documentation
Look at how it is structured before you commit
Documentation for food and food products certification fails when it describes a company nobody recognises. Ours maps clause by clause onto how you actually operate, so the manual, the procedures and the record formats hang together and an auditor can follow the thread. Book a demo and we will show you that structure on screen, not describe it.
Certification in food and food products, in detail
Who audits a food business and what they open first
Food safety authorities licence and inspect, but the tougher audits come from customers. Retail chains, hotel groups, institutional caterers and export importers run their own schemes, frequently unannounced, and their auditors head straight for the areas that reveal the truth. Pest control records and the actual bait station map. Allergen segregation in a shared production area. Cleaning verification results, not just cleaning schedules. Temperature records for the chiller with the door that does not seal.
They also test people rather than paper. An auditor will ask a line operator what to do if a glass thermometer breaks over an open vessel, and the answer tells them whether the system is real. Traceability challenges are standard practice as well, usually a request to trace a finished pack back to raw material lots and out to customers within a set time. Failing that exercise stops a listing decision immediately.
Hygiene control when volumes swing with the season
Food plants rarely run flat. Festival demand, harvest arrivals and summer beverage peaks bring in temporary staff and extended shifts at exactly the moment supervision is thinnest. Implementation has to assume this. Induction that can be delivered in a morning, visual controls at handwash and changing points, and verification checks that a line leader completes each shift are far more effective than a manual nobody opens.
Layout and flow deserve honest attention. Many sites have grown building by building, so raw and finished goods cross, or a cold room sits at the wrong end of the process. We work with what exists, using time separation, defined transfer routes and clear zoning where physical rebuilding is not realistic. Where a genuine hazard cannot be controlled by procedure alone, we say so and cost the change rather than dressing it up in documentation.
Commercial change after a food safety certificate
Certification changes the sales conversation from persuasion to qualification. Buyers who previously would not sample your product will accept a technical pack, and private label enquiries become possible because the retailer can defend the sourcing decision internally. Export agents also work with you more readily when they know the paperwork behind a shipment will stand up at the destination.
The internal savings surprise people. Structured process control reduces giveaway on fill weights, cuts product held for investigation, and lowers the volume destroyed after a hygiene failure. Complaint handling gets cheaper because you can answer with evidence instead of goodwill credits. And when something does go wrong publicly, a documented system is what allows you to demonstrate due diligence rather than face the worst version of the story.
From our food and food products practice
The food industry can impact customers’ health in various ways. Firstly, it plays a significant role in determining the nutritional content of available food that directly affects consumer health through ingredients and nutritional quality. Poor food safety practices can lead to foodborne illnesses, while rigorous standards can protect consumers. Additionally, the industry’s marketing and advertising practices influence consumer choices and can contribute to poor dietary habits.
Accessibility of healthy options and transparency in labelling and nutrition information significantly impact consumer health. The food industry must prioritize consumer health by promoting nutritious options and upholding rigorous food safety standards. Moreover, it must ensure transparent and responsible practices while supporting consumer education and public health initiatives to improve overall health outcomes.
Organizations that are part of the Food Industry
The food industry is vast and diverse, including various other organizations involved in food production, processing, distribution, and retail. Here are some key types of organizations that are part of the food industry:
How can the food industry ensure the client’s and customer’s safety and well-being?
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published over 22000 ISO standards to help organizations across various sectors improve their business management systems and overall performance.
ISO certification, precisely ISO 22000:2018 Certification, ensures food safety by standardizing processes. Moreover, the standard mandates every organization involved in the food supply chain to conduct a hazard analysis to implement appropriate control measures. It also helps organizations maintain compliance with legal requirements by encouraging continuous improvement to enhance consumer confidence. ISO 22000 helps food organizations align with food safety practices across the supply chain and adopt effective risk management and control strategies.
How ISO Certification Consultancy helps organizations in the Food Industry attain ISO Certification?
ISO 22000 consultancy provides valuable support to organizations in the food industry seeking to attain ISO certification by offering expert guidance and assistance throughout the certification process. ISO consultancy firms help organizations interpret the requirements of standards such as ISO 22000 to develop and implement robust food safety management systems . Certification bodies also assist organizations in conducting internal audits to identify areas for improvement and prepare for external certification audits. Additionally, they provide training to personnel and offer documentation templates to ensure that the organization is fully prepared to meet the necessary criteria for ISO certification.
ISO Certification Consultancy bodies , like MSCi, (Management System Compliance Incorporation) can help organizations across the entire food supply chain. ISO Consultants help organizations adopt appropriate measures to identify potential food safety hazards and address them appropriately. Moreover, ISO Consultancy bodies make the ISO 22000 Certification journey for organizations more accessible and smoother. Here is a complete list of ISO certifications that apply to every organization involved in the food supply chain, from food manufacturing to distribution.
- ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Quality Management System (QMS)
- ISO 14001:2018 Certification for Environment Management System (EMS)
- ISO 45001:2018 Certification for Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS)
- ISO 22000:2018 Certification for Food Safety Management System (FSMS)
- Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Certification
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Certification
- ISO 22301:2019 Certification for Business Continuity Management System (BCMS)
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification for Information Security Management System (ISMS)
- ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certification for Privacy Information Management System (PIMS)
- ISO 37001:2016 Certification for Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS)
- ISO 41001:2018 Certification for Facility Management System (FMS)
The food and food products industry plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer health and well-being through its impact on nutritional content. Moreover, organizations must implement appropriate food safety requirements and product marketing practices to promote accessible healthy options for customers.
The industry can significantly contribute to healthy outcomes by prioritizing rigorous food safety standards and transparent labeling practices to demonstrate nutritional information. ISO Certifications are internationally acknowledged standards and the implementation of standards like ISO 22000:2018 ensures that organizations maintain high food safety practices to manage risks effectively and comply with legal requirements.
There is a good deal more detail on Food and Food Products certification below.
Would half an hour on food and food products certification with a consultant be useful?
Food and Food Products certification questions
Which standard does a food and food products organisation actually need?
It depends entirely on who is asking. In food and food products, buyers and regulators ask for documented evidence. The usual starting points are ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001. We map 15 standards to this sector, and the first job is working out which one satisfies the party putting the requirement on you.
Can we certify to more than one standard at once?
Yes, and in food and food products it is usually the cheaper route. Quality, environmental and health and safety systems share most of their structure, so running them as one integrated system means one document set, one internal audit programme and one certification audit instead of three.
We already have a system in place. Do we start again?
No. We begin by auditing your current way of working, and in food and food products that typically shows sixty to seventy per cent of the requirement is already being met informally. The work is capturing it, not inventing it.
How much of our team's time will this take?
Less than most people expect when it is planned properly. The heaviest demand is training and internal audit, both of which we schedule around your operational commitments. We have never asked a client to stop operating to get certified.
What happens after we get the certificate?
Two surveillance audits follow across three years. Some food and food products clients keep us on to prepare for each one, others train their own internal auditors and run it themselves. We are happy either way and will tell you honestly which makes sense at your size.
Prefer to just ask someone about food and food products certification rather than fill in a form?
Not sure which one your buyer wants?
Book a session and we will tell you exactly what satisfies the party putting the requirement on you.