Certifications on a supplier’s website are only useful if you know what they actually prove. Here is a plain-language guide to the standards a serious herb and spice exporter should hold — and the difference between a certification, a registration and a service.
HACCP — the foundation
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is the internationally recognised method for identifying food-safety hazards and controlling them at defined points in the process. It is the foundation the other standards build on. For herbs and spices, typical control points include verification of pesticide residues and metal detection before dispatch.
ISO 22000 — a food-safety management system
ISO 22000 wraps HACCP into a full management system: it sets out how a company plans, operates, documents and continually improves its food-safety controls across the whole operation, and how it communicates along the supply chain. A supplier certified to ISO 22000 has had that system audited by an accredited certification body.
FSSC 22000 — GFSI-recognised
FSSC 22000 builds on ISO 22000 and adds sector-specific prerequisite programmes and additional requirements. Crucially, it is recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) — the benchmark many international retailers and manufacturers expect from their suppliers. If your own customers demand a GFSI-recognised scheme, FSSC 22000 is usually what satisfies it.
ISO 9001 — quality management
ISO 9001 is a quality-management standard rather than a food-safety one. It shows the company manages its processes consistently and improves them over time. Alongside the food-safety standards, it signals an organised, audited operation rather than an ad-hoc one.
FDA registration — access, not a grade
A US FDA Food Facility Registration is a registration, not a certification and not an FDA “approval” of the product. Facilities that manufacture, process, pack or store food for the United States are required to register with the FDA and renew biennially. It is a prerequisite for shipping food to the US market — useful to know a supplier holds it, but distinct from the audited certifications above.
Inspection and treatment — services, not certifications
Two things are often confused with certifications. Third-party inspection (for example by SGS) is an independent, per-shipment check you can request. Phosphine (PH₃) fumigation is a treatment applied when a product or market requires it. Both are services arranged on request — not standing certifications.
What to ask a supplier
- Which standards are you certified to, and by which accredited body?
- Can you provide current certificates and their scope?
- Is your food-safety scheme GFSI-recognised (e.g. FSSC 22000)?
- Are you registered for my market (e.g. FDA for the US)?
- Which tests and inspections can you run on my consignment?
El Yasmina operates certified management and food-safety systems — ISO 9001, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000 and HACCP — and is FDA registered for shipments to the United States. SGS inspection and phosphine fumigation can be arranged on request. Current certificates and their scope are provided on request. See our food safety & quality page for the detail.