Retailer requirements
GFSI-recognised certification is often a condition of supply.
How we help: FSSC 22000 Version 7 built on ISO 22000 and sector prerequisite programmes.
Industry
Food, FMCG & Retail
Retailers and brand owners expect proof that food is safe, traceable and consistently made. We help you move from HACCP to ISO 22000 to GFSI-recognised FSSC 22000, and integrate quality and environment where it helps.
Challenges we solve
Pressures on food businesses
Retailer requirements, recalls and labour scrutiny reach every link in the food chain.
Food safety incidents
Contamination, allergens and recalls.
How we help: HACCP plans validated and verified, with allergen and environmental monitoring controls.
Traceability
Fast, accurate recall and withdrawal.
How we help: Traceability systems tested through mock recalls.
Water and energy
Water-intensive processing and refrigeration cost.
How we help: ISO 46001 water efficiency and ISO 50001 energy management.
Labour standards
Buyer social audits across farms and factories.
How we help: SA8000:2026 or a management approach aligned with buyer codes.
Quality consistency
Specification, packaging and customer complaints.
How we help: ISO 9001 integrated with your food safety system.
Recommended standards
Standards for food and beverage businesses
Core standards first, then the additions your customers, regulators or risks call for. Most run as one integrated management system.
FSSC 22000
GFSI-recognised scheme for retailers.
Core ISO 22000Food safety management system.
Core HACCPHazard control at the heart of every scheme.
Core ISO 9001Quality alongside food safety.
ISO 14001Environmental management.
ISO 46001Water efficiency.
SA8000Decent work in the supply chain.
ISO/IEC 17065For food certification bodies.
Regulatory context
Requirements that shape your system
Management systems help you meet these obligations and show evidence of control. They do not replace the obligations themselves.
Food hygiene law
HACCP-based requirements in national food law, based on the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene.
Market regulation
Rules such as EU General Food Law and the US FSMA for food entering those markets.
Halal and organic schemes
Scheme rules for product certification where you sell certified products.
Labelling and allergens
Labelling, allergen and nutrition rules in your markets.
Which requirements apply depends on your jurisdiction and activities. We map your system to the ones that apply to you.
How we work with food and beverage businesses
One partner, gap to certificate
01
Consultancy
Gap assessment, implementation and integrated systems built around how food and beverage businesses operations really work.
02Certification support
Certification body selection, mock audits and Stage 1 and Stage 2 support.
03Training Academy
Awareness to CQI/IRCA Lead Auditor, in-house or public.
04Ongoing partnership
Outsourced internal audit, management review and 2026 transitions.
Experience
Food & Beverage work we have delivered
Industrial gases · United Kingdom
Air Liquide UK
FSSC 22000 v6 · 2025 · 4 months
1stAttempt
0NCs
4Months
The challenge
Applying food safety controls to industrial gas production: purified, liquefied CO2 despatched in bulk as a food ingredient and processing aid.
What AEC did
Hazard analysis for bulk CO2, prerequisite programmes, FSSC additional requirements including food defence, food fraud and food safety culture, training and mock audit.
Certified at first attempt, no nonconformities. Food chain category K.
Selected clients in this sector: Nestlé, Unilever, Almarai, Baladna, Heineken, Carrefour, Ahold Delhaize. Names and trademarks belong to their owners and indicate client relationships only.
Training Academy
View the Training Academy
Training for food and beverage businesses teams
CQI/IRCA Approved Training Partner. Awareness, Implementer, Internal Auditor and Lead Auditor courses, in-house, public, virtual or hybrid.
Popular courses for this sector: ISO 22000, ISO 9001, ISO 14001.
Questions
Food & Beverage FAQ
Does AEC issue the certificates?
No. Certificates are issued by independent certification bodies accredited by UKAS, DAkkS or an equivalent national accreditation body, or by the scheme-specific bodies some standards require. AEC prepares your organisation for those audits.
HACCP, ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000?
HACCP is the hazard control method; ISO 22000 adds a management system; FSSC 22000 adds sector prerequisites and GFSI recognition. We recommend the level your customers require.
What changes with FSSC 22000 Version 7?
Version 7 was published in May 2026, with transition audits from May 2027. It adopts the new ISO 22002 prerequisite programme series.
Plan your food safety programme
Tell us your products, sites and customers. We reply with a proposal covering HACCP, ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 and certification support.
Certification decisions are made by independent, accredited certification bodies. AEC prepares organisations for certification and does not guarantee certification outcomes.