FOOD SAFETY
ISO 22000 Certification & HACCP Services in UAE
Apex provides ISO 22000 certification services, HACCP services and food-safety consultancy for UAE organizations. We scope the work around your products, processes, sites and customer requirements.
Two related but distinct systems
ISO 22000 is a certifiable management-system standard; HACCP is a hazard-control methodology that sits inside it or can be applied on its own. Apex clarifies which applies to your situation before proposing a scope.
CLARIFYING THE TWO SYSTEMS
ISO 22000 and HACCP are related, not identical
ISO 22000 is a full food safety management system standard that combines PDCA-style management requirements, interactive communication along the supply chain, prerequisite programmes (PRPs) and HACCP principles into one certifiable framework. HACCP itself is a hazard-analysis methodology — identifying and controlling critical points in a process — that can be implemented as a standalone food-safety control system or as the hazard-analysis core inside ISO 22000.
Core food-safety building blocks
Hazard analysis
Identify biological, chemical and physical hazards at each process step, in line with HACCP principles.
Critical control points (CCPs)
Determine which points in the process must be controlled to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level.
Prerequisite programmes (PRPs)
Establish the foundational hygiene and operational conditions — cleaning, pest control, supplier control, maintenance — that support hazard control.
Monitoring and critical limits
Define measurable limits at each CCP and how they are monitored during operations.
Traceability and recall readiness
Build the ability to trace product through the process and respond to a withdrawal or recall if required.
Verification and internal audit
Confirm the system is operating as designed and that hazard controls remain effective over time.
IMPLEMENTATION & READINESS
A practical route from scope to readiness
1. Define product and process scope
Map the products, sites and process steps the food safety system will cover.
2. Confirm prerequisite programmes
Assess existing hygiene and operational controls against what PRPs require.
3. Run hazard analysis
Identify hazards at each step and determine critical control points using HACCP principles.
4. Document the system
Build the food safety plan, monitoring records and control procedures your operation needs.
5. Verify and audit internally
Test the system’s effectiveness before it is relied on operationally or presented for certification.
6. Prepare for certification audit
Confirm records and team knowledge are ready for the certification body you have selected.
Common food-safety weaknesses
HACCP plan not matched to the real process
A generic hazard analysis copied between sites rather than built from the organization’s actual process flow.
Prerequisite programmes treated as optional
PRPs assumed to be in place without evidence, undermining the hazard-control assumptions built on top of them.
Monitoring records kept only for audits
Critical-limit monitoring completed as a formality rather than used to catch and correct real deviations.
Weak traceability
Product cannot be traced quickly enough through the process to support an effective recall if needed.
HOW APEX CAN HELP
Food-safety certification and consultancy
Apex helps confirm the appropriate ISO 22000 certification or HACCP service, including hazard analysis, prerequisite programmes, documentation and internal auditing. HACCP is not an ISO standard; any HACCP certification requirements must be identified for the relevant scheme or customer. Explore implementation consultancy and internal audit services, with certification responsibilities agreed separately where required.
Related management-system pathways
ISO 9001
Coordinate shared management practices alongside food-safety-specific controls.
ISO Audit Services
Internal audits and readiness reviews across one or more standards.
All ISO services
Choose certification, implementation consultancy, internal audits or training.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions to resolve before you begin
Do we need ISO 22000, HACCP, or both?
It depends on your customers’ requirements and growth plans; Apex can help confirm the appropriate scope before proposing an engagement.
Are prerequisite programmes part of certification?
PRPs are foundational to an effective food safety system and are assessed as part of an ISO 22000 certification audit.
Does this apply to non-manufacturing food businesses?
Yes — catering, distribution and storage operations can apply these principles, scoped to their actual process.
Scope your food-safety implementation
Share your products, process and current controls to define an appropriate ISO 22000 or HACCP engagement.