Standards Comparison

    ISO 22000

    Voluntary
    2018

    International standard for food safety management systems

    VS

    AS9120B

    Mandatory
    2016

    Aerospace QMS standard for parts distributors and stockists.

    Quick Verdict

    ISO 22000 ensures food safety via hazard controls for food chain organizations, while AS9120B delivers quality management through traceability and counterfeit prevention for aerospace distributors. Companies adopt them for certification, market access, regulatory compliance, and supply chain trust.

    Food Safety

    ISO 22000

    ISO 22000:2018 Food safety management systems

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Adopts High-Level Structure for integrated management systems
    • Implements two nested PDCA cycles for governance and operations
    • Integrates HACCP principles with full management system discipline
    • Categorizes controls systematically as PRPs, OPRPs, and CCPs
    • Elevates interactive communication as core hazard control measure
    Quality Management

    AS9120B

    AS9120B: Quality Management Systems for Distributors

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Prevents counterfeit and suspect unapproved parts
    • Ensures robust traceability and chain-of-custody
    • Strengthens external provider controls and flowdown
    • Implements distribution-specific configuration management
    • Mandates product safety and ethical awareness

    Detailed Analysis

    A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

    ISO 22000 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 22000:2018 is an international certification standard for Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS). It provides a systematic framework for organizations in the food chain to prevent, control, and communicate food safety hazards, ensuring safe products through risk-based thinking and HACCP principles.

    Key Components

    • Clauses 4-10 follow High-Level Structure (HLS) with dual PDCA cycles (organizational and operational).
    • Core elements: PRPs, hazard analysis, CCPs/OPRPs, traceability, verification, and communication.
    • Built on Codex HACCP integrated with management system requirements.
    • Supports third-party certification via accredited bodies.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Meets customer, regulatory, and GFSI requirements (e.g., FSSC 22000 foundation).
    • Reduces recall risks, enhances supply chain resilience, and builds stakeholder trust.
    • Enables market access, operational efficiency, and integration with ISO 9001/14001.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased approach: gap analysis, PRPs, hazard control plans, training, audits.
    • Applicable to all food chain organizations, scalable by size/complexity.
    • Requires internal audits, management reviews; certification via stage 1/2 audits, annual surveillance.

    AS9120B Details

    What It Is

    AS9120B is the IAQG quality management system (QMS) standard for organizations distributing aerospace parts without altering characteristics. It augments ISO 9001:2015's 10-clause high-level structure with over 100 distributor-specific requirements. Primary purpose: mitigate risks like traceability loss, counterfeit infiltration, and documentation errors in aviation, space, defense supply chains. Key approach: risk-based thinking, PDCA cycle, emphasizing chain-of-custody integrity.

    Key Components

    • Core pillars: context/leadership (Clauses 4-5), planning/support (6-7), operations (8), evaluation/improvement (9-10).
    • Distributor emphases: traceability, counterfeit prevention, external provider controls, configuration management.
    • Built on ISO 9001 principles with aerospace additions.
    • Certification model: third-party audits, OASIS listing via accredited bodies.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Enables market access to OEMs/Tier 1 suppliers.
    • Meets commercial mandates, reduces safety/liability risks.
    • Enhances efficiency, stakeholder trust via proven controls.
    • Builds competitive edge through ~2,400 global certifications.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, process design, training, internal audits (6-12 months).
    • Targets distributors of all sizes in ASD sectors globally.
    • Requires Stage 1/2 certification audits, ongoing surveillance. (178 words)

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ISO 22000
    Food safety management systems across food chain
    AS9120B
    Aerospace parts distribution without alteration

    Industry

    ISO 22000
    Food, feed, packaging, logistics globally
    AS9120B
    Aviation, space, defense distributors worldwide

    Nature

    ISO 22000
    Voluntary FSMS certification standard
    AS9120B
    Voluntary QMS certification standard

    Testing

    ISO 22000
    Internal audits, hazard verification, certification audits
    AS9120B
    Internal audits, process audits, certification audits

    Penalties

    ISO 22000
    Loss of certification, market exclusion
    AS9120B
    Loss of certification, supply chain exclusion

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ISO 22000 and AS9120B

    ISO 22000 FAQ

    AS9120B FAQ

    You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

    Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

    Transform your compliance journey with our AI-powered assessment platform

    Assess your organization's maturity across multiple standards and regulations including ISO 27001, DORA, NIS2, NIST, GDPR, and hundreds more. Get actionable insights and track your progress with collaborative, AI-powered evaluations.

    100+ Standards & Regulations
    AI-Powered Insights
    Collaborative Assessments
    Actionable Recommendations

    Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages