ISO 22000 vs FSSC 22000 v7: Which Food Safety Certification to Choose?

What actually separates ISO 22000 from FSSC 22000?

FSSC 22000 is not a rival to ISO 22000: it is a certification scheme that contains it. A site certified to FSSC 22000 applies ISO 22000:2018 plus two layers that the ISO standard alone does not impose.

FSSC 22000 Version 7, published by Foundation FSSC in May 2026, combines three building blocks:

1. ISO 22000:2018, the food safety management system (context, leadership, planning, HACCP, hazard control, improvement);
2. prerequisite programmes (PRPs) from the ISO 22002-x:2025 series: ISO 22002-100:2025 for the common requirements, then the sector part for your category (for example ISO 22002-1:2025 for food manufacturing);
3. FSSC additional requirements, numbered 2.5.1 to 2.5.18 in Version 7: purchasing and services, labelling, food defence, food fraud, allergens, environmental monitoring, food safety and quality culture, quality control, transport and storage, cross-contamination, PRP verification, product design, traceability, equipment, food loss and waste, communication and multi-site.

ISO 22000 alone also requires prerequisite programmes, but lets the site pick its reference. FSSC 22000 imposes the ISO 22002 part for your category and adds specific requirements that international buyers asked for. The table sums up the gap.

Both certificates are issued by an accredited certification body. No consultant certifies anyone: the consultant prepares the site, the certification body audits and decides.

Is ISO 22000 recognised by GFSI?

No. The GFSI list of recognised programmes does not include ISO 22000 on its own; it includes FSSC 22000. For an exporter, this is the difference that matters most.

GFSI, the retailer- and manufacturer-led initiative, "recognises" schemes it has benchmarked against its requirements. A buyer who asks for "a GFSI certificate" will accept FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS or another of the twelve recognised programme owners. It will usually turn down an ISO 22000 certificate, even one covering the same products.

You can check this on the GFSI page in seconds. As of 6 November 2026, the list of recognised programmes still shows FSSC 22000 Version 6, and Version 7 appears on the page of programmes undergoing benchmarking against the V2024 requirements. Check both pages again before answering a buyer.

To compare FSSC 22000 with BRCGS and IFS by destination market, read BRCGS vs IFS vs FSSC 22000: which GFSI standard for which export market?.

When is ISO 22000 enough?

ISO 22000 is enough when none of your customers asks for a GFSI-recognised scheme. It gives you a complete, internationally known food safety system with a lighter audit load and budget.

It fits four situations well:

• domestic and regional markets: suppliers to local retail, contract catering or public bodies whose tender says "ISO 22000 or equivalent";
• a first structuring step: an SME moving away from informal practices that wants a full system before going further;
• upstream or support activities: some carriers, ingredient makers or service providers whose customers do not ask for GFSI;
• multi-standard groups: a site already certified to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 that wants food safety inside a single management system with the same high-level structure.

One common mistake is choosing ISO 22000 "to get started" when an export buyer already expects a GFSI certificate within a year. The site then pays twice for audit preparation. Ask your customers in writing which standards they accept before you start.

When should you move to FSSC 22000?

As soon as a buyer asks for a GFSI-recognised programme and accepts FSSC 22000. This is common with multinational manufacturers and brand owners, and for ingredients, packaging and products sold for further processing.

A site already certified to ISO 22000 has done most of the work. Foundation FSSC provides a transition audit for a site holding a valid, accredited ISO 22000 certificate with an equivalent scope. The ISO 22000 certificate does not have to come from the same certification body. The transition audit starts a new three-year cycle and must meet the objectives of a Stage 2 audit; a Stage 1 audit is left to the certification body’s discretion.

Three workstreams remain before that audit:

1. PRPs: move from your current prerequisite programmes to ISO 22002-100:2025 and the sector part for your category, line by line;
2. additional requirements: document and apply the clause 2.5 requirements that apply to you, especially food defence, food fraud, allergens, environmental monitoring and food safety culture;
3. readiness for unannounced audits: being audit-ready every day, not just during audit week.

A site starting in late 2026 should not aim for Version 6: Version 6 audits are possible only until 30 April 2027, after which everything is audited to Version 7. The full timeline is in FSSC 22000 Version 7: what changes and the v6 to v7 timeline.

What time and budget should you plan for each?

For the same scope, FSSC 22000 costs more than ISO 22000 for three measurable reasons: a longer audit, more work on PRPs and additional requirements, and at least one unannounced audit per cycle. ACG does not publish fixed prices because the budget depends on the site.

Project duration depends on the starting point: a site with a living HACCP plan and solid PRPs moves much faster than one starting from a basic sanitary licence file. In the projects we support, we observe 3 to 12 months depending on the starting point: maturity of the site, condition of the buildings, HACCP basis, team availability. This is an observed range, not a guarantee.

Foundation FSSC also sets a minimum duration for the transition audit: two-thirds of the base audit duration plus the FSSC additional time. For HACCP fundamentals that both standards rely on, see our HACCP plan guide with a worked cannery example.

How do you decide in practice?

Start from your customers, not from the standard. The best choice is the one your current and target buyers accept, at the lowest cost for your site.

Run through this list before deciding:

• List current customers and the next three target customers, with their countries.
  
• Get in writing the standards they accept (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS).
  
• Check whether any buyer explicitly requires a GFSI-recognised programme.
  
• Identify your FSSC food chain category and the ISO 22002-x:2025 part that applies.
  
• Measure the gap between your current PRPs and ISO 22002-100:2025.
  
• Assess whether the site can take an unannounced audit on any working day.
  
• Check whether ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 must sit in the same management system.
  
• Price both scenarios with the certification body and your consultant.
  

If the answer to the third question is yes, ISO 22000 alone will not do. If no customer asks for GFSI, ISO 22000 gives you a complete system and a direct route to a later transition.