ISO 22000, HACCP or FSSC 22000: What Should Food Businesses Choose?

Food businesses often hear several names at once: the food safety eligibility certificate, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000. Many business owners assume these are alternatives to one another, when in fact they belong to two different groups: one is a legal requirement, the other is a voluntary management system.

Short conclusion: the food safety eligibility certificate is the basic legal requirement under Decree No. 15/2018/NĐ-CP; HACCP, ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 are voluntary management systems, and a business that already holds one of these certifications is exempt from applying for that certificate. Decree No. 46/2026/NĐ-CP points toward making these systems mandatory for certain high-risk product groups, but it is currently suspended.

Four names, two different groups

HACCP focuses on hazard analysis at each production stage, following principles developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO). ISO 22000 uses the HACCP principles as a core part, plus management system requirements under the common structure of ISO standards — meaning ISO 22000 is broader than HACCP. FSSC 22000 builds on ISO 22000, adding technical requirements for each food sector and requirements on food defense and food fraud; it is a popular choice when the customer is a supermarket chain or an international food group.

Does holding these certifications exempt a business from the food safety eligibility certificate?

Yes. Under Decree No. 15/2018/NĐ-CP, a food production or trading facility that has been issued one of these certifications — HACCP, ISO 22000, IFS, BRC, FSSC 22000 or GMP — is not required to apply for the food safety eligibility certificate, provided the certification is valid and covers the products actually being produced or traded.

This is why many factories choose ISO 22000 or HACCP from the start instead of applying separately for the food safety eligibility certificate: it meets the legal requirement while also giving a more structured management system for large customers. One point to note: the exemption applies facility by facility and product group by product group within the certification scope; a business with several production lines and product groups should check whether the certification scope covers everything, to avoid a case where some products fall outside the scope without the business knowing.

Should you choose HACCP, ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000?

There is no common answer for every business; the choice depends on who is asking and what stage the business is at:

• You only need to meet domestic customer requirements, at small or medium scale: HACCP is usually enough and leaner to start with, since it focuses on on-site hazard control.
• You already have ISO 9001 and want an integrated food safety management system as well: ISO 22000 fits because it shares the management structure, making it easy to combine documents, with the same coordinating team.
• You sell to supermarket chains, international food groups, or export to markets requiring a GFSI standard: ask the customer first whether they specifically require FSSC 22000, BRC or IFS, since each supply chain is usually familiar with one particular scheme.
• You are a new business with no specific customer requirement yet: complete the food safety eligibility certificate first, and do not rush to build an international system without a real need.

Decree No. 46/2026/NĐ-CP: issued but currently suspended

On 26 January 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 46/2026/NĐ-CP to replace Decree No. 15/2018/NĐ-CP, moving from product self-declaration to registration of a declaration of conformity, and setting a roadmap for certain high-risk product groups (health supplements, food additives and some other groups) to have a food safety management system such as HACCP, ISO 22000, GMP or equivalent.

However, implementation ran into obstacles. The Government issued two successive suspension resolutions:

• Resolution No. 09/2026/NQ-CP (4 February 2026): suspended Decree No. 46/2026/NĐ-CP until the end of 15 April 2026, allowing Decree No. 15/2018/NĐ-CP to continue to apply during this period.
• Resolution No. 15/2026/NQ-CP (6 April 2026): replaced Resolution No. 09/2026/NQ-CP and continues the suspension of Decree No. 46/2026/NĐ-CP — this time with no fixed end date, but suspended until the amended Law on Food Safety and new guiding decrees take effect. Decree No. 15/2018/NĐ-CP continues to apply during the suspension.

As of the date this article was checked (30 September 2026), the amended Law on Food Safety is still at the draft stage and has not been passed by the National Assembly. This means: the mandatory HACCP/ISO 22000/GMP roadmap of Decree No. 46/2026 does not yet apply; the document actually in force is Decree No. 15/2018/NĐ-CP, under which adopting these systems remains voluntary (except for some sectors with their own rules, which must be checked sector by sector).

Businesses in the high-risk product groups mentioned above should still follow the progress of the amended Law on Food Safety, since the policy direction is clear; building a system early will leave them less on the back foot when the new rules formally take effect.

Roadmap for building a system, if a business chooses to do so

Building and maintaining an ISO 9001 system in general (registration, audit, surveillance cycle) is covered in more detail in ISO 9001 Certification: What a Company Needs to Prepare; the principles for choosing a reliable certification body apply similarly to ISO 22000.

Common pitfalls for food businesses

• Thinking ISO 22000 can replace every sector license. Some products also have sector-specific requirements (for example product declaration, periodic testing); ISO 22000 only exempts the food safety eligibility certificate, not the other obligations.
• Choosing a system by trend, without asking what customers need. FSSC 22000 takes more effort than HACCP, but if the customer only needs HACCP, there is no need to go for FSSC 22000 right away.
• Not updating when the facility changes scale or adds production lines. The certification scope must match actual production; new products outside the certification scope still need a food safety eligibility certificate for that portion.
• Ignoring policy tracking. For high-risk product groups, follow the progress of the amended Law on Food Safety instead of waiting until the rules take effect to start preparing.

How Thái Tín supports you

Thái Tín receives your needs and works with the business to determine whether to pursue the food safety eligibility certificate, HACCP, ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 based on customer requirements and actual scale; connects consulting, training units and certification bodies suited to the specific food sector; and tracks progress until the agreed scope is completed. Consulting on building the system is carried out by the consulting unit; assessment and issuance of the certificate are decided by the certification body; issuance of the food safety eligibility certificate is decided by the state management authority by sector.

Costs include consulting fees, training (if hired) and certification audit fees; a quote is given once the product line, scale and intended system are clear. See also ISO, standards and certification services.

If your business is weighing options, send the product type, the sales market (domestic or export) and any specific customer requirements to get advice on which system to choose first.

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