ISO 22000 certification in Ireland

ISO 22000 certification in Ireland at a glance

Food safety law in Ireland already asks for a HACCP-based system, so the real question for most businesses is what to build on top of it. ISO 22000 places those HACCP principles inside a management system that INAB lists, with ISO TS 22003, among the schemes an accredited certification body can certify. FSSC explains that ISO 22000 is not recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative whereas FSSC 22000 is, and that many organisations start with ISO 22000 before transitioning. The FSAI, not the certificate, remains the authority for food hygiene compliance under Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. Sterling's London office supports Irish food manufacturers, packers and distributors with hazard analysis, prerequisite programmes, internal audit and management review, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included in the engagement. Certification is by an accredited certification body.

Who needs ISO 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 manufacturers and processorsA certified food safety management system builds on the HACCP-based system the FSAI requires of every food business.
• Packaging, storage and transport firms in the food chainThe FSAI definition of a food business covers packaging, storage, transportation and distribution.
• Suppliers to customers who require FSSC 22000 laterFSSC explains that many organisations start with ISO 22000 and move to the GFSI-recognised scheme.
• Caterers and food-service operators with larger operationsA structured management system supports consistent hazard control across sites.

ISO 22000 requirements in Ireland

Strip away the vocabulary and ISO 22000 requires a company to prove six things about keeping food safe from supplier to customer.

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: ISO 22000 explained →

• ISO 22000 requirements, clause by clause in plain language
• The documents ISO 22000 expects
• ISO 22000 checklist

How to get ISO 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 ISO 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 ISO 22000 certification process, step by step
• ISO 22000 gap analysis
• ISO 22000 implementation plan
• ISO 22000 internal audit

How long does ISO 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.

• Number of sites and product categories in scope
• Maturity of prerequisite programmes and HACCP records
• Traceability and recall arrangements
• Whether the customer wants a GFSI-recognised scheme instead

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

• What drives the ISO 22000 timeline
• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does ISO 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.

• Size and complexity of the operation
• Laboratory and monitoring needs
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
• Remediation of premises, equipment or controls

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

• What makes up the cost of ISO 22000

ISO 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 ISO 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.

• Choosing an ISO 22000 certification body
• How to verify an ISO 22000 certificate

ISO 22000 in Ireland: questions clients ask

More on ISO 22000 for Irish organisations

• ISO 22000: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement ISO 22000
• Catering and hotels: ISO 22000 for the sector
• Feed and animal food: ISO 22000 for the sector
• Food and beverage manufacturing: ISO 22000 for the sector
• Food packaging manufacturing: ISO 22000 for the sector
• Ingredients and supplements: ISO 22000 for the sector
• Retail and wholesale: ISO 22000 for the sector
• Transport, storage and distribution: ISO 22000 for the sector
• ISO 22000 certification in Ireland and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Irish businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 22 standards Sterling delivers in Ireland →