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The FSSC 22000 certificate is primarily associated with production facilities — production halls, production lines and the HACCP system implemented by food manufacturers. However, an increasing number of enquiries about this standard are coming from companies that do not produce food, but rather store, handle and transport it. And rightly so — because food safety does not end at the gates of the production facility, but continues throughout the entire supply chain, right up to the point where the product reaches the shop or the next link in the chain.
The FSSC 22000 standard is based on ISO 22000 and on-site programmes (PRPs) tailored to the specific category of the food chain in which an organisation operates. These categories cover not only food production but also, amongst other things, storage and distribution outside the cold chain, as well as transport and warehousing. This means that a company which:
can implement and certify a food safety management system based on FSSC 22000, selecting an appropriate scope (scope) to suit the specific nature of its operations — different from that of a production facility, but based on the same systemic logic: hazard identification, control of storage conditions, temperature management, hygiene and prevention of cross-contamination.
It is worth noting that the new version of the standard — FSSC 22000 v7, published in early May 2026 — further clarifies the requirements in precisely these areas outside traditional manufacturing, addressing, amongst other things, issues relating to warehouse management, control of transport conditions and the responsibility of individual links in the supply chain for maintaining food safety continuity. This also applies to companies that already hold the certificate and must comply with the transition deadlines set by the FSSC Foundation, regardless of whether they operate in manufacturing, warehousing or transport. This signals that the FSSC Foundation treats logistics and warehousing as a fully-fledged, increasingly important part of the certification system, rather than a secondary issue compared to production.
Not every logistics company handling food products needs to think about certification straight away — but it is worth considering if at least one of the following situations applies:
Customers or business partners explicitly require a GFSI-recognised certificate. Large food manufacturers and retail chains increasingly expect their logistics partners — not just raw material suppliers — to have a certified food safety management system. Without this, a logistics company may simply fail to qualify as a subcontractor.
The company is responsible for maintaining the cold chain or other critical parameters. Where improper storage or transport could genuinely affect product safety, certification is not a mere formality but a practical risk management tool.
The company wishes to build a competitive advantage in tenders. A GFSI-recognised certificate can be a differentiating factor in logistics tenders for the food industry — particularly where the contracting authority assesses not only price but also the systemic maturity of the service provider.
The company serves multiple clients in the food industry simultaneously. Rather than undergoing a separate third-party audit for each client, a single recognised certificate helps to reduce the number of separate audits the company must undergo.
For companies that have never dealt with food safety certification before, an audit of a warehouse or logistics centre looks different from a typical production facility audit — both in terms of scope and the areas on which the auditor focuses.
There is less emphasis on the production process and more on storage conditions and the flow of goods. The auditor focuses, amongst other things, on temperature and humidity control, warehouse zoning (separating products with different risk levels, isolating allergens), managing use-by dates, and the traceability system that allows the product’s journey through the warehouse to be tracked.
Particular attention is paid to fleet management and transport conditions. Where the company is responsible for transport, the auditor checks, amongst other things, procedures for cleaning and disinfecting trailers, temperature monitoring during transit, and procedures in the event of refrigeration unit failures or delays affecting transport conditions.
A different risk profile to be identified. Rather than the hazards typical of food processing (e.g. cross-contamination during production), the risk analysis in a warehouse or transport company focuses on risks associated with storage, handling, damage to packaging or pests.
Integration with clients’ systems. Logistics companies often have to demonstrate how their own food safety management system ‘aligns’ with the requirements of the manufacturers for whom they provide services — which is sometimes an additional aspect assessed during an audit. As in production facilities, the auditor looks not only at the documentation, but also at whether [warehouse staff or drivers actually understand and apply food safety principles on a day-to-day basis, and not just when they know they are being observed.
Transport and warehousing companies that opt for FSSC 22000 certification — either independently or with the help of a consultancy firm specialising in implementing the FSSC 22000 [KC11.1]— gain, above all, credibility in the eyes of large, formalised customers—retail chains and manufacturers operating in the B2B model, for whom supply chain safety is a factor in supplier risk assessment on a par with timeliness or the price of the service. The certification also facilitates participation in tenders where the requirement to have a food safety management system is often a formal condition for the acceptance of a bid, rather than merely an additional advantage.
FSSC 22000 is a standard that goes beyond traditional food production to also cover storage and transport — areas whose importance is further emphasised by the new version of the standard, v7, published in May 2026. For logistics companies serving the food industry, certification is increasingly not a matter of choice, but a prerequisite for retaining and securing contracts with large, demanding clients.
DJB DORADZTWO
Marcin Chorąży
