ISO 22000 food safety / HACCP: what companies in HoReCa, catering, and processing need
- Stefan
- 16 oct. 2024
- 2 min de citit
Actualizată în: 17 dec. 2025
ISO 22000 food safety
If you work in HoReCa, catering or food processing, you have a huge responsibility: the safety of the food you serve to your customers.
And for this, the two most important systems are:
HACCP – mandatory by law
ISO 22000 – international standard for food safety
Although they complement each other perfectly, they are not the same thing. Below, we will explain in simple terms what you need, why and how it helps you in your daily activities.
1. HACCP – mandatory for any food operator
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is required by sanitary-veterinary and European legislation. Regardless of whether you have:
restaurant
fast-food
food truck
bakery / pastry shop
catering company
canteen
meat / dairy processing
grocery store
food warehouse
HACCP must exist and be applied.
HACCP helps you demonstrate:
that you control contamination risks,
that you maintain correct temperatures,
that you have an organised flow,
that you check raw materials,
that you have traceability,
that employees comply with hygiene rules,
that you are prepared for the authorities' controls.
In practice, HACCP means:
HACCP plan
temperature sheets
cold / hot monitoring
sanitization
raw material reception
traceability
staff training
It's not complicated, if done well.
2. ISO 22000 – the upper level of organisation
If HACCP is the "legal minimum", ISO 22000 is the premium level.
It is the international standard for food safety from A to Z, recognised in:
premium restaurants
food processing
HoReCa chains
suppliers for hospitals, schools, institutions
export
retail chains
industrial catering
ISO 22000 includes HACCP, but takes everything to the next level:
clear procedures
well-defined responsibilities
supplier control
emergency plans
risk management
training
internal audit
communication with customers and authorities
continuous improvement
In short: ISO 22000 Food Safety = HACCP + organisation + management + perfect traceability.
What do companies in HoReCa, catering and processing choose?
✔ For legal compliance:
HACCP is 100% mandatory.
✔ For large contracts with institutions or companies:
ISO 22000 is usually required.
✔ For market differentiation, trust and premium brand:
ISO 22000 offers a major advantage over competitors.
✔ For export or supply to large chains:
ISO 22000 is almost always required.
The difference between HACCP and ISO 22000 (in brief)
Sistem | Is it mandatory? | For whom? | What does it do? |
HACCP | Yes | All food operators | Controls food hazards |
ISO 22000 | No | HoReCa, catering, processing, export | Creates a complete food safety management system |
Why is ISO 22000 worth it even if you already have HACCP?
✔ provides trust to customers and partners
✔ prepares you perfectly for controls
✔ reduces the risk of losses, returns and complaints
✔ differentiates you in the market
✔ shows real professionalism
✔ qualifies you for public tenders and large contracts
What does implementation entail?
A correctly implemented ISO 22000 / HACCP system includes:
1 general procedure
clear flows for each activity
identification and control of critical points
sanitation plan
traceability (in/out)
procedures for raw materials and suppliers
periodic staff training
internal audit
simple and periodic checks
Everything is adapted exactly to your kitchen/processing line.
Conclusion
HACCP is the legal basis. ISO 22000 is the superior level that brings you confidence, better contracts and zero problems in your activity.
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