ISO 22000:2018 explained — Food Safety Management
ISO 22000:2018 is the international standard for Food Safety Management Systems. It applies to any organisation in the food chain — farm to fork — and integrates the HACCP principles with the High-Level Structure shared by ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and other management standards.
What ISO 22000 covers
The standard combines several layers of food safety controls:
- Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs) — basic hygiene controls drawn from sector-specific PRPs (ISO/TS 22002 family)
- Operational Prerequisite Programmes (oPRPs) — controls for significant hazards that don't need a Critical Control Point
- HACCP plan — Critical Control Points with critical limits, monitoring, corrective action
- Hazard analysis covering biological, chemical, physical and allergen hazards
- Traceability and product recall procedures
- Emergency preparedness and communication with the food chain
Who needs ISO 22000?
Every link in the food chain: primary producers, food manufacturers, foodservice, retail, packaging suppliers, logistics, cleaning services for food premises, animal feed producers. Often required by retailers and major brands as a tender prerequisite.
Key points to know
- ISO 22000 unified HACCP with management-system thinking — auditors now look for both HACCP study quality AND management commitment.
- FSSC 22000 is a GFSI-recognised certification scheme that combines ISO 22000 + sector PRPs + additional requirements; it is often demanded over plain ISO 22000.
- The 2018 revision introduced a clearer split between organisational and operational levels of risk.
- Traceability one-step-up and one-step-down is mandatory across the food chain.
ISO 22000 — frequently asked questions
What is ISO 22000 in simple terms?
ISO 22000 is a framework for managing food safety end-to-end. It combines HACCP (hazard analysis) with management-system rigour (leadership, training, internal audit, continual improvement) so an organisation can demonstrate consistent food safety to customers and regulators.
Is ISO 22000 the same as HACCP?
No. HACCP is a methodology for identifying and controlling food safety hazards. ISO 22000 includes HACCP, but adds management-system requirements: leadership, planning, support, performance evaluation, improvement. ISO 22000 certification covers more than a HACCP study.
How is ISO 22000 different from FSSC 22000?
FSSC 22000 is a certification SCHEME that bundles ISO 22000 + ISO/TS 22002 sector PRPs + additional FSSC requirements. It is GFSI-recognised, which most large retailers demand. Plain ISO 22000 is the underlying management-system standard.
What is the difference between a PRP and an oPRP?
PRPs (Prerequisite Programmes) are basic hygiene practices applied across the operation — pest control, cleaning, personal hygiene. oPRPs (Operational PRPs) are controls applied to specific hazards that don't need the strict critical-limit monitoring of a CCP, but are still important. CCPs are the most stringent control points with measurable critical limits.
Does ISO 22000 cover allergen management?
Yes. Allergens are explicitly listed as a chemical hazard and must be considered in the hazard analysis. Allergen segregation, labelling and validated cleaning are typical PRP / oPRP / CCP controls.