FSSC 22000 certification in the United Arab Emirates

FSSC 22000 certification in the UAE at a glance

Food manufacturers exporting from Jafza or KEZAD to retailers abroad meet one question early: is the certification GFSI-recognised? FSSC 22000 is, and it is built on ISO 22000 with sector-specific prerequisite programmes and additional scheme requirements set by Foundation FSSC. At home, Dubai Municipality's Food Code already requires food establishments to implement a documented food safety programme based on HACCP principles and to have it audited by a third-party auditor the Municipality approves, so much of the hazard analysis groundwork may already exist. FSSC 22000 certificates are issued only by certification bodies licensed by Foundation FSSC, and certified organisations appear in the FSSC public register. Sterling's Dubai team closes the gaps between an existing HACCP or ISO 22000 system and the scheme's additional requirements, with Effivity and Sterling Academy training included. The local drivers and questions follow.

Who needs FSSC 22000 in the UAE, and what happens without it

In the UAE 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 in KEZAD and Jafza exporting to international retailersRetail customers ask for a GFSI-recognised scheme.
• Food establishments in Dubai already running a HACCP-based programmeThe Food Code's food safety programme is a starting point for the scheme.
• Packaging and ingredient suppliers to food manufacturersCustomers extend GFSI expectations to their suppliers.

FSSC 22000 requirements in the UAE

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

In the UAE 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 the UAE

One team from the Dubai office carries the work from scoping to certificate. All seven emirates and the free zones, on-site from Dubai; 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 UAE 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 the UAE?

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

• Existing HACCP or ISO 22000 system
• Number of production lines and product categories
• PRP and food defence evidence before the audit

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 the UAE?

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 the UAE these factors move both.

• Number of sites and product categories
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
• Infrastructure gaps found against sector PRPs

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 the UAE

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 the UAE 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 the UAE: questions clients ask

More on FSSC 22000 for UAE organisations

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

Other standards UAE businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 22 standards Sterling delivers in the United Arab Emirates →