FSSC 22000 or BRCGS: Which Certification Should You Ask a Supplier For?
FSSC 22000 and BRCGS are both GFSI-recognised food safety certification schemes and both are accepted by most international buyers. FSSC 22000 is built on ISO 22000 and is management-system led; BRCGS is prescriptive and product-safety led, with a graded result. For a frozen potato buyer either is sufficient. What matters more than the choice between them is the certificate scope, the site it covers, the grade, and whether the audit was announced or unannounced.
Published 2026-08-21 · FirstFry Export Desk · Sourcing & supplier qualification
Procurement teams routinely send a supplier questionnaire asking for BRCGS specifically, or FSSC 22000 specifically, without a clear reason for the preference. Suppliers then either hold the wrong one and get excluded, or hold both at unnecessary cost. It is worth understanding what the difference actually is.
What they have in common
Both are recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative, which is the benchmark most large retailers and foodservice groups use to decide whether a scheme is acceptable at all. Both require a documented HACCP system, prerequisite programmes, traceability, and an annual third-party audit by an accredited certification body. Both will be accepted by the overwhelming majority of importers.
If your requirement is simply "a credible internationally recognised food safety certificate", either one answers it and the debate is not worth having.
Where they differ
| BRCGS | FSSC 22000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | British Retail Consortium, retail-driven | Built on ISO 22000 plus sector prerequisites |
| Style | Prescriptive — tells you what to do | Management-system led — you define, it audits |
| Result | Graded (AA down to D) | Certified or not — no grade |
| Audit options | Announced or unannounced | Announced, with mandatory unannounced element |
| Common in | UK and European retail supply | Global manufacturing, strong in food industry generally |
| Buyer reads | The grade is a quick quality signal | Certification alone; look at the audit report |
The grade is the practical reason buyers often prefer BRCGS. AA or A tells you something at a glance that FSSC 22000 does not encode. On the other hand a grade is a snapshot of one audit, and a B-grade plant with an open, well-documented corrective action culture may be a better supplier than an AA-grade plant that prepared hard for one day.
What about ISO 22000 or HACCP on its own?
ISO 22000 alone is a management system standard, not GFSI-recognised by itself — FSSC 22000 exists precisely because ISO 22000 needed sector prerequisite programmes bolted on to reach that benchmark. HACCP alone is a methodology, not a certification, though many national schemes certify against it.
For smaller destination markets, or for a first trial container, HACCP plus a national food safety licence is often what is genuinely required. Asking a supplier for BRCGS AA on a single-pallet trial order is a way to eliminate perfectly capable suppliers for no benefit. Match the requirement to the risk and the volume.
Reading the certificate
The scheme name is the least informative thing on the document. Four other fields carry the meaning.
- Scope. The product categories covered. A certificate scoped to frozen vegetables may not cover coated or par-fried potato products. Read the wording, not the summary.
- Site. The physical address audited. Group companies with several plants may hold certification on only one.
- Validity dates. And whether a recertification audit falls inside your production window.
- Certificate number. Verify it in the scheme owner directory. Every major scheme publishes one.
What certification does not cover
Food safety certification is about safety systems. It is not a substitute for, and does not include:
- Halal or kosher certification — separate bodies, separate audits, separate certificates
- Destination market registration — most import markets register the product or the facility separately, whatever certification the plant holds
- Organic certification — a different scheme entirely
- Product quality — a certified plant can consistently and safely produce a fry you do not like. Specification and sampling handle that, not certification
That last point is the one most worth internalising. Certification tells you a plant is unlikely to hurt anyone. It tells you very little about whether the product will meet your specification, which is why the audit checklist and the sample process exist alongside it.
Frequently asked questions
Is BRCGS better than FSSC 22000?
Neither is better; they are different in style. BRCGS is prescriptive and produces a grade, which buyers find convenient to read. FSSC 22000 is management-system led and ungraded. Both are GFSI-recognised and both are accepted by most international buyers.
Is HACCP enough for a frozen food supplier?
For a first trial order into a smaller market, often yes, alongside the national food safety licence. For retail supply or large-volume contracts most buyers will want a GFSI-recognised scheme. Match the requirement to the volume and the risk rather than defaulting to the strictest option.
Does food safety certification cover halal?
No. Halal is a separate certification from a separate body, and for potato products it needs to cover the frying oil and processing aids as well as the potato itself. Ask for it explicitly if your market requires it.
Need our certification pack?
Tell us which scheme your buyer or regulator requires and we will send current certificates with scope and site, plus the halal and market registration documentation your file needs.
Email BuyFry@FirstFryFoods.com or request a quote. The export desk replies within one business day.