FSSC 22000 certification in Switzerland

FSSC 22000 certification in Switzerland at a glance

Swiss food law already requires HACCP: under the Food and Utility Articles Ordinance, anyone who produces, processes or treats food applies procedures based on the HACCP system or its principles, in a form adapted to risk and scale, and the Hygiene Ordinance requires the staff concerned to be adequately trained. Approved industry guidelines may be used as an alternative route. FSSC 22000 goes further. Foundation FSSC describes it as a GFSI-recognised food safety management system built on ISO-aligned management systems, and buyers set their own scheme requirements, which may include it. Food is a focus industry for Switzerland Global Enterprise. A certificate is issued by a certification body working under the scheme's rules, preferably one accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Service. Sterling's Frankfurt office helps Swiss food businesses prepare prerequisite programmes, the HACCP plan, food defence and fraud assessments and audit readiness, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included with the engagement.

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

In Switzerland 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 retail and international customersFood is a focus industry for Switzerland Global Enterprise, and buyers set their own scheme requirements, which may include FSSC 22000.
• Processors and handlers who must apply HACCP-based proceduresAnyone producing, processing or treating food must apply procedures based on the HACCP system or its principles, which the scheme builds in.
• Producers moving from industry guidelines to a recognised schemeIndustry guidelines approved by the FSVO may be used as an alternative to the ordinance's procedures; buyers may still ask for a scheme certificate.

FSSC 22000 requirements in Switzerland

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

In Switzerland 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 Switzerland

One team from the Frankfurt office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Clients across Switzerland are served from Sterling's Frankfurt 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 Swiss 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 Switzerland?

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

• Number of production lines, sites and product categories
• State of prerequisite programmes and HACCP plan
• Food defence and food fraud assessments to be added
• Certification body scheduling

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 Switzerland?

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 Switzerland these factors move both.

• Number of sites and product categories
• Investment in hygiene and traceability controls
• Certification body fees quoted separately from consulting
• Combination with ISO 9001 or ISO 14001

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 Switzerland

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 Switzerland 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 Switzerland: questions clients ask

More on FSSC 22000 for Swiss organisations

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

Other standards Swiss businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Switzerland →