WHAT IS

Accreditation?

Accreditation is the foundation of trust for any certification body.
It confirms that an organisation’s audits are carried out correctly, consistently, and impartially, by an independent third party. It’s a fair question to ask of any certification body — so here’s exactly where Apex Global Quality stands.

Why Accreditation Matters to You

Every detail matters in a certification process

ISO 22716 itself can’t currently be UKAS-accredited — not by us, and not by any certification body. Here’s why, and what we’re doing instead:

UKAS does not operate an accreditation scheme for ISO 22716, for any certification body, in the UK
We operate to the principles of ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 regardless, even without formal sign-off
We’re upfront about this so you can make an informed decision about your certification
We’re building towards formal accreditation for BRCGS Consumer Products, a standard accreditation bodies do certify against

OUR Accreditation Process

Like any certification body, we hold ourselves to recognised standards even where formal accreditation isn’t possible. Here’s our roadmap for bringing accredited certification online:

Step 1

WHY ISO 22716 STAYS UNACCREDITED

ISO 22716 is a guidance standard, not a management system standard, so it doesn't fall under ISO/IEC 17021-1. UKAS has no scheme for it under ISO/IEC 17065 either. This is permanent and structural, not a step we're working through.

Step 2

OPERATING TO 17021-1 & 17065 PRINCIPLES

We run our ISO 22716 certification scheme in line with the competence, impartiality, and consistency requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 — the same principles a formal accreditation audit would assess us against.

Step 3

EXPANDING INTO BRCGS CONSUMER PRODUCTS

We plan to bring BRCGS Consumer Products into our certification scope. Unlike ISO 22716, this is a standard accreditation bodies do certify against.

Step 4

PURSUING BRCGS ACCREDITATION

When BRCGS Consumer Products comes online, we intend to pursue formal accreditation for that scheme — going through the application, audit, and witness-audit process a genuine accreditation body would require.

Step 5

TRANSPARENT THROUGHOUT

We'll be clear at every stage about what's accredited and what isn't — no claims ahead of where we actually stand.

Step 6

ISO 22716 CERTIFICATION CONTINUES AS NOW

Our ISO 22716 audits and certificates continue exactly as they are today — specialist, consistent, and run to 17021-1/17065 principles. BRCGS accreditation, if and when it happens, is a separate, additional scheme.

What This Means for Clients

You don’t have to wait for future accreditation news to get ISO 22716 certified. Our audits, certificates, and specialist service are available now — on the same honest terms described above.