FSSC 22000 certification in Egypt

FSSC 22000 certification in Egypt at a glance

Retail chains and brand owners that supply Egypt's export and domestic markets often name the schemes they accept, and FSSC 22000 is frequently on the list. It builds on ISO 22000 with category prerequisites, food defence and food fraud controls. Global ACI shows the Egyptian Accreditation Council recognised for the scheme's parts since August 2024, although the entry is recent and the scheme sets its own rules for certification bodies. The National Food Safety Authority's registration of factories under Law No. 1 of 2017 remains a separate regulatory step. Packaging and ingredient producers, co-packers and exporters of processed food meet the same request from buyers. Sterling's Dubai office helps plants close the gap from ISO 22000 or HACCP to the scheme, including food defence and fraud assessments, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included with the engagement.

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

In Egypt 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 beverage manufacturers supplying retailers that require a benchmarked schemeMany multinational buyers accept only certain food safety schemes, and FSSC 22000 is one they commonly name.
• Packaging and ingredient producersScheme versions exist for the food packaging and manufacturing chain, and customers push the requirement down.
• Exporters of processed foodImporting buyers ask for a scheme certificate in addition to local registrations.
• Plants already certified to ISO 22000The scheme builds on ISO 22000 with additional requirements, so existing systems carry over.
• Co-packers and private-label producersBrand owners require their co-packers to hold the certificate they themselves are audited against.

FSSC 22000 requirements in Egypt

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

In Egypt 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 Egypt

One team from the Dubai office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Clients across Egypt are served from Sterling's Dubai office, on-site where the work needs it and remotely otherwise.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against FSSC 22000 and the Egyptian 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 Egypt?

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

• Sites, lines and products within the scheme category
• Prerequisite programme gaps against scheme requirements
• Food defence and food fraud assessments to add
• Certification body scheduling around Ramadan production peaks

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 Egypt?

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 Egypt these factors move both.

• Number of sites, lines and products in scope
• Premises, equipment and monitoring upgrades
• Certification body audit fees, quoted separately from consulting
• Laboratory testing and environmental monitoring

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 Egypt

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 Egypt 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 Egypt: questions clients ask

More on FSSC 22000 for Egyptian organisations

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

Other standards Egyptian businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Egypt →