FSSC 22000 certification in Norway

FSSC 22000 certification in Norway at a glance

Mattilsynet already requires every Norwegian food business to run internal control and a HACCP-based hazard assessment, and it says nothing about FSSC 22000. The scheme enters through the customer: retailers, brand owners and export buyers specify certification by the scheme owner, FSSC, as a supplier condition. It builds on the ISO 22000 management system with additional scheme requirements, which suits seafood, aquaculture and processed food producers selling beyond Norway. A certification body must be approved by the scheme owner and hold accreditation, so check its scope in Norsk akkreditering's register or that of another body within the same recognition arrangements. Sterling's Enschede office layers the scheme requirements onto the internal control system a business already keeps, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included with the engagement.

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

In Norway 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 selling to retailers and brand ownersCustomers may specify an FSSC 22000 certificate in supplier terms, on top of the mandatory hazard assessment.
• Seafood and aquaculture processors exporting to buyers that require third-party scheme certificationExport customers set scheme conditions separately from Mattilsynet's rules.
• Packaging and ingredient suppliers to food manufacturersManufacturers extend food safety requirements to their own suppliers.

FSSC 22000 requirements in Norway

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

In Norway 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 Norway

One team from the Enschede office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Clients across Norway are served from Sterling's Enschede 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 Norwegian 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 Norway?

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

• Number of sites, lines and food chain categories in scope
• State of prerequisite programmes and food defence and fraud assessments
• Scheme additional requirements layered on ISO 22000
• Supplier approval and allergen control evidence

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 Norway?

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 Norway these factors move both.

• Number of sites and product categories
• Prerequisite programme remediation needed
• Certification body fees quoted separately from consulting
• Scheme documentation and any customer-specific conditions

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 Norway

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 Norway 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 Norway: questions clients ask

More on FSSC 22000 for Norwegian organisations

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

Other standards Norwegian businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Norway →