Quick answer
BRCGS Food Safety, ISO 22000 and SALSA address organisational food-safety systems, but their scope, target users and assessment arrangements differ. Choose against the actual activity, buyer requirement and current scheme documents. An individual training certificate does not certify a business to any of them, and ISO 22000 alone is not the same scheme as FSSC 22000.
Compare the specific standard, not just a logo
BRCGS’s Food Safety overview describes a manufacturing-focused standard covering safety, quality and operational criteria assessed by a competent third party. Other BRCGS programmes have different scopes; this comparison concerns Global Standard Food Safety.
ISO’s ISO 22000 overview describes a management-system standard usable across the food chain. Certification is optional under the standard and performed by external certification bodies; ISO does not certify organisations.
Compare audience, scope and assessment
| Option | Scope and practical distinction |
|---|---|
| BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety | Food manufacturing/processing/packing system with specified requirements and audit protocol; confirm the exact product/site scope. |
| ISO 22000 | International food-safety management-system requirements across the food chain; confirm the certification scope and buyer acceptance. |
| SALSA Food & Drink Production | Approval scheme aimed at eligible micro/small producers in the UK and Republic of Ireland using commercial premises; check current eligibility and standard. |
The current SALSA Food & Drink Production standard sets its scope and eligibility. SALSA also has other standards, so do not treat production approval as automatic approval for a different activity.
Understand where HACCP fits
BRCGS’s public Issue 9 sample identifies a HACCP food-safety-plan component within a wider system and audit structure. ISO 22000 combines HACCP with prerequisites, management and communication. SALSA’s production standard also includes prerequisites, HACCP and management documentation.
A HACCP course can support individual competence, but it is not an audit of the premises or evidence that every organisational requirement has been implemented. Do not buy a course expecting it to issue business certification.
Check current issues and transition arrangements
The sources were checked on 25 October 2026. ISO’s page identifies ISO 22000:2018 with its amendment and a revision under development; a draft is not automatically the published replacement.
SALSA’s 2026 transition notice says audits use the new issues from 1 September 2026, including Food & Drink Production Issue 7. Use current official documents and notices rather than an old checklist or certificate found online.
Choose and prepare against the actual requirement
Confirm the required standard, site/product scope and buyer acceptance in writing. Check the assessment body, current protocol, resources, gaps and continuing obligations. Avoid a universal “best” ranking or assuming one certificate is interchangeable with another.
This is a scope comparison based on public owner material, not a clause-by-clause audit or reproduction of licensed standards. Obtain the correct official documents and competent support before planning certification.
Next steps
- Confirm the exact activity, buyer requirement and certification scope.
- Compare current owner documents and applicable eligibility.
- Assess the organisation’s implementation and resources.
- Keep individual training separate from business certification.
Check current scheme-owner documents — Confirm the exact current standard, transition and assessment scope before planning certification.