FSSC 22000 certification in China

FSSC 22000 certification in China at a glance

FSSC 22000 combines ISO 22000 with sector prerequisite programmes from the ISO/TS 22002 series and its own scheme requirements, which is why global retailers and brand owners accept it. Foundation FSSC states that the scheme holds the Global Food Safety Initiative's recognition and Global ACI approval, so a certificate earned at a plant in China carries the same weight as one issued in Europe. Audits are carried out by certification bodies licensed by Foundation FSSC and accredited for the scheme; in China those bodies must also be approved by CNCA, and CNAS has held APAC mutual recognition for food safety management system certification since 2014. Food processors, ingredient suppliers and packaging makers usually reach FSSC 22000 by upgrading an ISO 22000 or HACCP system, adding food defence, food fraud and allergen controls along the way. Sterling's Shanghai office plans that upgrade, strengthens prerequisite programmes and prepares the site for the scheme audit, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included in every engagement.

Who needs FSSC 22000 in China, and what happens without it

In China the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Food and ingredient manufacturers supplying global retailers and brand ownersCustomers that require GFSI-recognised certification accept FSSC 22000.
• Food packaging manufacturersFSSC 22000 covers packaging manufacture with sector prerequisite programmes.
• Processors already certified to ISO 22000FSSC 22000 builds on ISO 22000 with prerequisite programmes and scheme requirements.

FSSC 22000 requirements in China

Strip away the vocabulary and FSSC 22000 asks a company to prove six things about food safety to the level global buyers expect.

In China these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: FSSC 22000 explained →

• FSSC 22000 requirements, clause by clause in plain language

How to get FSSC 22000 certified in China

One team from the Shanghai office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Delivery from the Shanghai office, on-site across mainland China as the scope requires; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against FSSC 22000 and the Chinese requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• The FSSC 22000 certification process, step by step

How long does FSSC 22000 certification take in China?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In China these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Food chain category and sector prerequisite programme required
• State of the ISO 22000 system, if any
• Infrastructure and hygiene upgrades
• Certification body scheduling around the Spring Festival peak

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does FSSC 22000 certification cost in China?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In China these factors move both.

• Number of sites and product categories
• Prerequisite programme upgrades to premises and equipment
• Certification body audit fees, quoted separately from consulting
• Food defence, food fraud and allergen management programmes

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of FSSC 22000

FSSC 22000 consultants and certification bodies in China

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers FSSC 22000 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in China are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

FSSC 22000 in China: questions clients ask

More on FSSC 22000 for Chinese organisations

• FSSC 22000: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement FSSC 22000
• Sterling in Shanghai
• FSSC 22000 certification in China and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Chinese businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in China often combine FSSC 22000 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in China →