ISO 22000 Consulting

The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) require all food businesses that import, export, or trade interprovincially to have a Preventive Control Plan (PCP). These plans must include hazard analysis, critical control points, prerequisite programs, and traceability — requirements that align closely with ISO 22000. Implementing ISO 22000 doesn't just satisfy your customers; it builds a system that meets or exceeds CFIA expectations during inspections.

CFIA's risk-based inspection model means that facilities with robust food safety management systems receive less frequent and less intensive inspections. ISO 22000 certification demonstrates to CFIA inspectors that your preventive controls are systematic, documented, and verified. This can translate to fewer inspection disruptions and greater confidence during CFIA interactions.

For food manufacturers exporting to the United States, FDA's FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) preventive controls requirements add another regulatory layer. ISO 22000's hazard analysis and preventive control framework aligns well with FSMA, making it easier to satisfy both Canadian and American regulatory requirements with a single management system. We build systems that address both jurisdictions.

Major Canadian retailers — Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, Costco Canada, and Walmart Canada — increasingly require GFSI-recognized food safety certification from their suppliers. While ISO 22000 itself is not GFSI-recognized, it serves as the foundation for FSSC 22000, which is. We help clients decide whether ISO 22000 certification meets their current market requirements or whether stepping up to FSSC 22000 is necessary to access specific retail channels.

The decision between ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 depends on your customer base. If you primarily supply food service, industrial, or export customers, ISO 22000 may be sufficient. If major Canadian or international retailers are your target market, FSSC 22000's GFSI recognition is likely required. We help you make this decision based on your specific business strategy, avoiding unnecessary investment in standards your customers don't require.

Allergen management is one of the most critical challenges for Canadian food manufacturers. Health Canada's list of priority allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, sesame, mustard, seafood, and sulphites) drives labelling requirements and operational controls. Undeclared allergens are the leading cause of food recalls in Canada. ISO 22000's hazard analysis framework provides the systematic approach to identifying allergen cross-contact risks and implementing effective controls.

Recall preparedness is a CFIA regulatory requirement and an ISO 22000 management system element. We help you build recall procedures that can be executed within the 24-hour window that CFIA and your customers expect. This includes traceability systems that can identify affected product within hours, communication templates for customers and regulators, and mock recall exercises that test your system's effectiveness before a real incident occurs.

Canadian food manufacturers face unique seasonal and regional challenges that your food safety management system must address. Temperature extremes — from -40°C winter conditions that affect incoming ingredient quality and transportation to summer heat that challenges cold chain integrity — require seasonal adjustments to your prerequisite programs and monitoring procedures.

Regional agricultural patterns also matter. Manufacturers sourcing from Canadian farms face seasonal availability that affects supplier management and incoming material controls. Prairie-based grain processors, BC fruit and vegetable canners, Maritime seafood processors, and Ontario dairy manufacturers each face distinct hazard profiles. We build food safety systems tailored to your specific products, processes, and regional supply chain — not generic templates that ignore these realities.