FSSC 22000 certification in Germany

FSSC 22000 certification in Germany at a glance

German food manufacturers often meet two scheme names at the buyer's door: IFS Food, developed with the expertise of retailers, manufacturers and certification bodies, and FSSC 22000, owned by Foundation FSSC and built on ISO 22000. Which one a plant needs depends on who it sells to and which scheme each buyer accepts; some plants hold both. FSSC 22000 combines the ISO 22000 management system with sector prerequisite programmes and the scheme's own additional requirements, and certification is by a certification body licensed by the Foundation and accredited for the scheme; the FSSC public register lists certified organisations, certification bodies and accreditation bodies. Underneath any scheme sits the legal hygiene baseline of the Lebensmittelhygiene-Verordnung and EU food hygiene law. Sterling advises on scheme choice, builds the prerequisite programmes and food safety plan, and implements the system from its Frankfurt office. Questions follow.

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

In Germany 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 manufacturers supplying multinational brand owners and exportersBuyers may require a GFSI-benchmarked scheme such as FSSC 22000.
• Food packaging manufacturersFSSC 22000 has a packaging category for suppliers to food producers.
• Manufacturers choosing between IFS Food and FSSC 22000IFS standards are developed with retailers' expertise; FSSC 22000 builds on ISO 22000.
• All food business operatorsThe hygiene baseline under the LMHV and EU food hygiene law applies first.

FSSC 22000 requirements in Germany

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

In Germany 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 Germany

One team from the Frankfurt office carries the work from scoping to certificate. All German states (Länder), on-site from Frankfurt; 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 German 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 Germany?

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

• Product categories and number of production lines
• Prerequisite programme (ISO/TS 22002 series) maturity
• Buyer deadlines and scheme choice (FSSC 22000 or IFS Food)
• Unannounced audit requirements of the scheme

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 Germany?

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 Germany these factors move both.

• Number of sites and product categories
• Infrastructure and hygiene upgrades
• Certification body fees quoted separately from consulting

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 Germany

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 Germany 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 Germany: questions clients ask

More on FSSC 22000 for German organisations

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

Other standards German businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 23 standards Sterling delivers in Germany →