FSSC 22000 certification in Ireland

FSSC 22000 certification in Ireland at a glance

Retail and food-service buyers often look for a certificate recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative, and FSSC 22000 is one. The scheme combines ISO 22000:2018, sector-specific standards and additional FSSC requirements, and INAB lists it among the systems an accredited certification body can certify. At home, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland requires every food business to hold a food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP; FSSC 22000 goes beyond that legal baseline and is voluntary. Certification is by an accredited certification body, never by Sterling. Sterling's London office supports Irish food manufacturers and suppliers with gap analysis, food safety culture, prerequisite programmes, internal audit and management review, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included in the engagement.

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

In Ireland 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 drink manufacturers supplying retailers and exportersFSSC states that its scheme is recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative, which retail and food-service buyers rely on.
• Packaging and ingredient suppliersThe scheme covers sector-specific requirements beyond ISO 22000.
• Food businesses already holding ISO 22000FSSC explains that many organisations start with ISO 22000 and transition to the GFSI-recognised scheme.
• Distribution and storage businesses supplying retailersThe FSAI definition of a food business covers storage, transportation and distribution as well as manufacture.

FSSC 22000 requirements in Ireland

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

In Ireland 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 Ireland

One team from the London office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Clients in Ireland are served from Sterling's London 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 Irish 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 Ireland?

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

• Food safety culture and prerequisite programme maturity
• Number of sites and food categories in scope
• Existing HACCP and ISO 22000 maturity
• Customer or retailer deadlines

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 Ireland?

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 Ireland these factors move both.

• Number of production lines and sites
• Laboratory, monitoring and traceability needs
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
• Remediation of infrastructure or process controls

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 Ireland

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 Ireland 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 Ireland: questions clients ask

More on FSSC 22000 for Irish organisations

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

Other standards Irish businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 22 standards Sterling delivers in Ireland →