Certification
ISO 9001 vs ISO 22000: Not All ISO Certificates Are the Same
"ISO certified" appears on many supplier websites and brochures. But ISO has published tens of thousands of standards, and each one covers something different. A certificate for quality management is not the same as a certificate for food safety. If you are choosing a food or cake supplier, it pays to know which ISO certificate you are actually looking at.
First, what is ISO?
ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, writes international standards. ISO does not issue certificates itself. Certificates are issued by independent certification bodies, such as SGS, after they audit a company. The certification bodies are in turn checked by national accreditation bodies, such as Standards Malaysia or UKAS in the United Kingdom.
The ISO certificates you will see most often
ISO 9001: quality management. The best known ISO standard, used in every kind of industry, from banks to factories. It shows that a company has a system for consistent quality, customer satisfaction and improvement. It does not set specific requirements for food safety.
ISO 22000: food safety management. Written for the food chain. It combines the HACCP principles with prerequisite programmes such as hygiene, cleaning and pest control, plus a full management system for suppliers, traceability and recall. If the question is "is this food made safely?", this is the ISO standard built to answer it.
ISO 14001: environmental management. About managing a company's impact on the environment, such as waste, energy and emissions. It is not about the safety of the product.
ISO 45001: occupational health and safety. About protecting workers from injury and ill health. Again, it is not about the safety of the product.
Side by side
| Standard | What it covers | Proves food safety? |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | Quality management in any industry | No, not on its own |
| ISO 22000 | Food safety management for the food chain | Yes |
| ISO 14001 | Environmental management | No |
| ISO 45001 | Workplace health and safety | No |
How to read an ISO certificate
When a supplier sends you a certificate, check these five things:
- The standard. Is it the one you need? For food safety, look for ISO 22000.
- The scope. This line says which products and which site the certificate covers. Make sure it matches what you are buying.
- The certification body. Who audited the company?
- The accreditation mark. An accreditation mark (for example Standards Malaysia or UKAS) shows that the certification body itself has been checked.
- The dates. Make sure the certificate is still valid.
Watch out for words like "ISO compliant" or "built to ISO standards". They usually mean the company has not been audited and certified.
To check an accredited certificate, you can search the International Accreditation Forum's database, IAF CertSearch, or contact the certification body directly.
Where Yummies Food stands
Yummies Food is certified to ISO 22000 by SGS, with UKAS accreditation (August 2024). This is the ISO standard written for food safety. We also hold HACCP certification to the Malaysian Standard MS 1480 by SGS (August 2024), Halal certification from JAKIM (August 2024) and MeSTI from the Ministry of Health Malaysia (April 2024).
Read more in ISO 22000 explained for cake buyers and how HACCP keeps every batch of our cakes safe.
Common questions
Is ISO 9001 enough for a food supplier?
ISO 9001 shows good quality management, but it was not written for food safety. For food, look for ISO 22000 or HACCP.
Does ISO issue certificates?
No. ISO writes the standards. Independent certification bodies, such as SGS, audit companies and issue the certificates.
Can I see your ISO 22000 certificate?
Yes. Email info@yummies.com.my and we will send a copy.
Looking for a certified cake manufacturer?
Browse our packaged cake range, see our OEM and private label service, or contact us for samples and a quotation.