Which certificates do private label manufacturers in Northern Europe have?
It depends on the product. Among the 437 private label manufacturers NordSourced lists in Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, 21 of 75 cosmetics manufacturers name ISO 22716, 28 of 68 food supplement manufacturers GMP, 45 of 125 food manufacturers BRCGS, IFS Food or FSSC 22000, and 23 of 99 furniture manufacturers FSC or PEFC.
A certificate named on a website is a claim. NordSourced counts a certificate as checked only when it has opened the document, found that a certification body issued it to this manufacturer, and seen that it is still valid: so far 23 of the 205 manufacturers that name one, across all product groups.
Five findings
- EU law asks for the practice, not the certificate. The Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 requires good manufacturing practice (Article 8) and Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 requires procedures based on HACCP principles (Article 5); neither text mentions certification. A certificate is how a manufacturer shows a buyer that it works that way.
- For food, GFSI recognises BRCGS Food Safety, IFS Food and FSSC 22000 among its programmes; ISO 22000 on its own is not on GFSI’s list. 45 of the 125 food manufacturers NordSourced lists name one of the three, and 17 name “IFS” without saying which IFS standard.
- “GMP” on a food supplement manufacturer’s website needs a follow-up question. Directive 2002/46/EC sets no manufacturing-practice rule, and EU GMP in EudraLex Volume 4 is written for medicines. 28 of 68 supplement manufacturers name GMP; ask which standard and which certification body.
- An FSC or PEFC chain of custody certificate covers only goods sold with the claim on the invoice, and FSC says its certification does not replace the due diligence the EU Deforestation Regulation requires from 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators. 23 of 99 furniture manufacturers name FSC or PEFC.
- Product labels are not site certificates. An OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certificate covers the tested articles for one year, and EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan licences cover named products. 7 of 29 home textile manufacturers name OEKO-TEX without saying which OEKO-TEX label.
What does a certificate prove, and what does the law require?
A certificate is an independent body’s written assurance that a product, a service or a management system meets a named standard. EU law mostly requires the practice itself, such as GMP for cosmetics and HACCP-based procedures for food, not the certificate. Buyers ask for certificates because a document from an independent body is quicker to check than a factory.
ISO says it does not perform certification or issue certificates: certification bodies do, and accreditation bodies check the certification bodies. In the five countries these are LATAK in Latvia, LA (the Lithuanian Accreditation and Standardization Agency) in Lithuania, EAK in Estonia, FINAS in Finland and SWEDAC in Sweden, all signatories of the European co-operation for Accreditation’s multilateral agreement.
Three kinds of document get called “certificates” on manufacturers’ websites, and they prove different things. A management system certificate (ISO 9001, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000) is about the site’s system. A scheme audit (BRCGS, IFS) is about the site against a food or product safety scheme, often graded or partly unannounced. A product label (COSMOS, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, GOTS) is about named products. Licences from a regulator, registrations and ratings are not certificates, and NordSourced shows them separately under “Also mentions”.
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001: the certificates named in every group
ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management) are named in all six product groups. Each proves that a certification body audited the manufacturer’s management system; neither proves a product safe or covers sector rules such as cosmetics GMP or food hygiene. Both were revised in 2026; certificates to the 2015 editions stay valid during the transition.
| Product group | ISO 9001 named by | Valid document opened | ISO 14001 named by | Valid document opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | 15 of 75 | 4 | 12 | 3 |
| Food supplements | 6 of 68 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Food & beverages | 5 of 125 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Furniture & interior | 16 of 99 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| Home textiles | 1 of 29 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Household & cleaning | 15 of 38 | 2 | 12 | 2 |
ISO withdrew ISO 9001:2015 on 16 September 2026 when ISO 9001:2026 was published, and the certification body LRQA gives 30 September 2029 as the end of the transition for 2015 certificates; ISO 14001:2026 has also replaced the 2015 edition, with the transition ending in April 2029 by LRQA’s account. A 2015 certificate is therefore not out of date in 2026; its end date is what to check. The price of asking for ISO 9001 alone: it tells you the manufacturer runs an audited system, not that it meets the rule your product falls under.
Which certificates do cosmetics manufacturers name?
The certificate a cosmetics buyer usually asks for is ISO 22716, the GMP guideline whose European edition EN ISO 22716:2007 gives a presumption of good manufacturing practice under the EU Cosmetics Regulation. 21 of the 75 cosmetics manufacturers NordSourced lists name it, and for 4 we opened a valid document. Organic and natural claims rest on COSMOS or NATRUE.
| Certificate | What it proves | Named by (of 75) | Valid document opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 22716 | The site follows the ISO guidelines for producing, controlling, storing and shipping cosmetics | 21 | 4 |
| GMP, other than ISO 22716 | Depends on which GMP is meant; ask which standard and which certification body | 14 | 0 |
| COSMOS (also named as Ecocert) | Certified products or raw materials meet the COSMOS criteria for organic or natural cosmetics | 8 | 1 |
| NATRUE | Certified products or raw materials meet the NATRUE standard for natural cosmetics | 1 | 0 |
| EU Ecolabel or Nordic Swan Ecolabel | A licensed product meets the label's environmental criteria | 5 | 1 |
| IFS HPC | The site's safety and quality management system and production processes for household and personal care products | 0 | 0 |
| ISO 13485 | A quality management system for medical devices, relevant only if the product is one | 8 | 1 |
Why a private label brand needs this more than the factory does: under the Regulation, whoever has a cosmetic made and markets it under its own name or trademark is the “manufacturer” (Article 2(1)(d)). For a product made in the EU, a manufacturer established in the EU is the responsible person unless it mandates someone else in writing (Article 4(3)); one established outside the EU must designate one (Article 4(4)). The responsible person keeps the product information file for ten years after the last batch, and the file must contain a description of the manufacturing method and a statement on GMP compliance (Article 11). The brand writes that statement; the factory supplies the evidence.
What ISO 22716 does not prove: by ISO’s own abstract it covers product quality, not the safety of the plant’s personnel or the environment, and it does not apply to research and development or to distributing finished products. It does not make your formula safe; that is the separate safety report. COSMOS and NATRUE certify products and raw materials, so a manufacturer’s certified own-brand line does not certify your product. “Ecocert” on its own names a certification body, a founding member of COSMOS, not a standard.
Which certificates do food supplement manufacturers name?
Food supplement buyers usually ask for GMP and HACCP, and a retailer may ask for FSSC 22000, BRCGS or IFS Food. 28 of the 68 supplement manufacturers NordSourced lists name GMP and 29 name HACCP. EU law requires HACCP-based procedures from food manufacturers, but no GMP certificate.
| Certificate | What it proves | Named by (of 68) | Valid document opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMP | Depends on which GMP: EU GMP for medicines, a third-party GMP certification such as NSF/ANSI 455-2, or the manufacturer's own procedures | 28 | 1 |
| HACCP | A certification body attests that procedures based on the seven HACCP principles are in place | 29 | 1 |
| ISO 22000 | An audited food safety management system that integrates the HACCP principles | 9 | 0 |
| FSSC 22000 | ISO 22000 plus sector prerequisite programmes and scheme rules; recognised by GFSI | 9 | 2 |
| BRCGS or IFS Food | The site passed a GFSI-recognised food safety scheme audit | 4 | 1 |
| EU organic | A control body certified the listed products as organic | 8 | 2 |
What EU law does and does not require: Directive 2002/46/EC defines food supplements as foodstuffs sold in dose form and harmonises which vitamins and minerals, and which sources of them, may be used, and how the products are labelled. It says nothing about manufacturing practice, HACCP or certificates. Because supplements are foods, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 applies: procedures based on HACCP principles (Article 5) and registration of every establishment with the food authority (Article 6). EU GMP, the EudraLex Volume 4 guidelines, is written for medicinal products; a supplement manufacturer that also holds a medicines manufacturing licence works to it for those medicines, and NordSourced lists such licences under “Also mentions”, not as certificates.
What “GMP” can mean, then: EU GMP under a medicines licence; a third-party certification such as the GRMA programme built on NSF/ANSI 455-2 for dietary supplements, which is on GFSI’s list; or the manufacturer’s own written procedures. The word alone does not tell you which. FSSC 22000 is changing too: audits against version 6 are allowed only until 30 April 2027, and upgrade audits against version 7 run from 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2028.
Which certificates do food and beverage manufacturers name?
Food buyers that supply retail usually ask for a GFSI-recognised scheme: BRCGS Food Safety, IFS Food or FSSC 22000. 45 of the 125 food and beverage manufacturers NordSourced lists name one of the three and 21 name HACCP, the procedure EU law requires from every food manufacturer. ISO 22000 on its own is not GFSI-recognised.
| Certificate | What it proves | Named by (of 125) | Valid document opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRCGS Food Safety | The site passed a graded audit to BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety, issue 9; depending on the grade, the certificate is renewed every 6 or 12 months | 27 | 2 |
| IFS Food | The site passed an annual IFS Food audit (version 8); at least every third audit is unannounced | 1 | 0 |
| IFS, standard not named | Not counted as a certificate: IFS runs separate standards for food, logistics, brokers, packaging and household products | 17 | not counted |
| FSSC 22000 | ISO 22000 plus sector prerequisite programmes and scheme rules; recognised by GFSI | 23 | 1 |
| ISO 22000 | An audited food safety management system that integrates the HACCP principles; not GFSI-recognised on its own | 11 | 0 |
| HACCP | A certification body attests that HACCP-based procedures are in place | 21 | 0 |
| EU organic | A control body certified the listed products as organic | 2 | 0 |
GFSI does not certify anyone. It benchmarks certification programmes against its requirements, with the stated aim of fewer duplicate audits: once certified, accepted everywhere. Its list for Benchmarking Requirements version 2020 includes BRCGS Food Safety issue 9, IFS Food version 8, FSSC 22000 version 6, SQF Edition 9 and GLOBALG.A.P., among others. BRCGS sites have at least one unannounced audit every three years, and an unannounced audit earns a “+” grade such as AA+ or A+. What none of these proves on its own: that your product is in the certificate’s scope, so check the product categories and the site address on the certificate itself.
Which certificates do furniture and interior manufacturers name?
Furniture buyers usually ask for FSC or PEFC chain of custody, which lets a manufacturer sell wood products with a certified claim. 23 of the 99 furniture and interior manufacturers NordSourced lists name FSC or PEFC, and for 2 we opened a valid document. The certificate covers only goods invoiced with the claim.
| Certificate | What it proves | Named by (of 99) | Valid document opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSC chain of custody | The manufacturer may sell products with FSC claims (FSC 100%, FSC Mix, FSC Recycled); a product counts as FSC-certified only when its invoice carries the claim and the certificate code | 20 | 1 |
| PEFC chain of custody | The same for PEFC claims; holders are listed in PEFC's Find Certified database | 5 | 1 |
FSC’s chain of custody standard, FSC-STD-40-004 V3-1, defines an FSC-certified product as one eligible to be sold with FSC claims on invoices, and requires sales documents to carry the claim and the certificate code. FSC Controlled Wood is not an FSC-certified product. The EU Deforestation Regulation, which covers furniture, applies from 30 December 2026 to large and medium operators and from 30 June 2027 to micro and small ones, and FSC says its certification does not replace due diligence. What FSC or PEFC does not prove: that the manufacturer’s whole range is certified, or that a shipment meets the Deforestation Regulation.
Which certificates do home textile manufacturers name?
Home textile buyers usually ask for OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, a test of each certified article for harmful substances, and for GOTS when the product will be sold as organic. 3 of the 29 home textile manufacturers NordSourced lists name STANDARD 100, 7 name OEKO-TEX without the label, and 2 name GOTS.
| Certificate | What it proves | Named by (of 29) | Valid document opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 | Every component of the certified article was tested for harmful substances, in one of four product classes; certificate issued for one year | 3 | 0 |
| OEKO-TEX, label not named | Not counted as a certificate: OEKO-TEX also runs MADE IN GREEN, ORGANIC COTTON, STeP, ECO PASSPORT and other labels | 7 | not counted |
| GOTS | Certified textiles contain at least 95 % certified organic fibres ("organic") or 70–94 % ("made with x % organic materials"), processed under GOTS environmental and social criteria | 2 | 0 |
The product class matters for home textiles: class 2 is for products with direct skin contact such as bed linen, class 4 for home textiles and decoration materials such as curtains, and class 1, with the strictest limits, for babies and children up to three. A STANDARD 100 certificate for towels does not cover curtains, and it is not an organic claim. GOTS covers the chain from fibre to finished product, but it is not a harmful-substance test of your finished article. A GOTS label must name the certification body and the certified company’s number.
Which certificates do household and cleaning product manufacturers name?
Household and cleaning buyers usually ask for an ecolabel: the EU Ecolabel or the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, both licences for named products rather than certificates for a site. 7 of the 38 household and cleaning manufacturers NordSourced lists name one of the two, and 15 name ISO 9001. Retailer brands may also ask for IFS HPC.
| Certificate | What it proves | Named by (of 38) | Valid document opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU Ecolabel | A competent body verified that the licensed products meet the criteria for their product group | 3 | 0 |
| Nordic Swan Ecolabel | Nordic Ecolabelling audited production and licensed the product against the criteria for its product group | 5 | 0 |
| IFS HPC | The site's safety and quality management system and production processes for household and personal care products, including retailer private label | 0 | 0 |
The EU Ecolabel is voluntary and runs under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010; one licence covers one or several products in the same product group. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel was launched by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 1989; Nordic Ecolabelling audits production on site before it grants a licence and can revoke the licence if the product fails the criteria. Its national organisations are in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, so a manufacturer in Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia applies to one of them. What neither label proves: anything about products outside the licence.
What does your product decide for you?
Most of the choice is made before you compare manufacturers. Who you sell to and what the pack says decide which certificate you need; the manufacturer’s list of logos only tells you who can meet it.
Your brand on a cosmetic. If your company is established in the EU, you are the legal manufacturer and, unless you mandate someone else, the responsible person, so your product information file needs a GMP statement. Ask for ISO 22716 evidence or, if the factory has no certificate, its GMP documentation and an audit. The price: a certificate filter leaves 21 of 75, and a manufacturer without one may still work to GMP.
A retail chain whose supplier policy names GFSI. For food and supplements, that means BRCGS Food Safety, IFS Food, FSSC 22000 or another programme on GFSI’s list; a site with ISO 22000 or HACCP alone does not meet it. The price: the shortlist shrinks to 45 of 125 food manufacturers.
A retailer’s own brand of household or personal care products. IFS HPC is written for exactly this, including retailer private label. The price: no listed household, cleaning or cosmetics manufacturer names it on its website, so expect to ask rather than filter.
An organic or natural claim on the pack. The certificate has to cover your product, not only the manufacturer: an EU organic certificate listing the product for food and supplements, COSMOS or NATRUE for cosmetics, GOTS for textiles, with at least 95 % organic fibre to say “organic”. The price: certification of your product is a step of its own, after the manufacturer’s.
Wooden furniture sold in the EU from 30 December 2026. The Deforestation Regulation’s due diligence applies whatever the certificate. FSC or PEFC chain of custody makes it easier to show where the wood came from, if your invoice carries the claim. The price: 23 of 99 furniture manufacturers name FSC or PEFC, and a certificate on the website does not put the claim on your invoice.
Textiles that touch skin, or are made for babies. Ask for OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 in the right product class, class 1 for babies and class 2 for bed linen, and for the certificate that lists your article. The price: the certificate is per article and runs for one year, so a new product or a new fabric means a new check.
How do you check a certificate yourself?
Ask for the certificate document, not the logo, and check four things: the holder’s name and address match the site that will make your product, the scope covers your product, the end date has not passed, and the scheme owner’s register or the certification body confirms it. A certificate that fails one of the four does not cover your order.
| Certificate | Where to look it up | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, ISO 22716, ISO 13485 | IAF CertSearch (iafcertsearch.org) or the certification body; its accreditation with LATAK, LA, EAK, FINAS or SWEDAC | Holder, site address, standard edition, scope, expiry |
| FSSC 22000 | FSSC Public Register (fssc.com) | Food chain category, site, status |
| BRCGS | BRCGS Directory (directory.brcgs.com) | Grade, scope, expiry, audit type |
| IFS Food, IFS HPC | The certification body named on the certificate; IFS also keeps the IFS Database | Standard (Food or HPC), scope, expiry |
| EU organic | TRACES organic operator certificates (European Commission) | Products listed, control body, expiry |
| COSMOS | COSMOS certified products directory (cosmos-standard.org) | Your product's name |
| FSC | FSC certificate search (search.fsc.org) | Certificate code, product groups, status; the claim on your invoice |
| PEFC | PEFC Find Certified (pefc.org) | Certificate number, products, status |
| OEKO-TEX | OEKO-TEX Label Check, by label number | Article, product class, validity |
| GOTS | GOTS Certified Suppliers Database (global-standards.org) | Entity, certified products |
| EU Ecolabel | EU Ecolabel Product Catalogue (ECAT) | Licensed product and product group |
| Nordic Swan Ecolabel | Nordic Ecolabelling product search | Licensed product |
If a certificate is not in the register, ask the certification body named on it. More on checking a manufacturer before ordering, including the five countries’ free company registers: How do I check a private label manufacturer?
How was this counted, and what does it leave out?
A certificate counts as named when the manufacturer’s own website names it, with a link to the page. It counts as checked only when we opened the document, a certification body issued it to this manufacturer for a standard, and its end date had not passed when the page was built. Licences, registrations, ratings and self-declared labels are not counted. A scheme named without its scope, such as “IFS” or “OEKO-TEX” with no standard, is shown separately and not counted as a certificate.
Product groups follow the products each manufacturer names; a manufacturer can be in more than one group, and food includes beverages. The listed manufacturers’ websites were checked between 28 Sept 2026 and 10 Oct 2026; the numbers are recounted each time the lists change. This counts what manufacturers say about themselves and what documents we opened. It is not a census and not an audit: a certificate we have not opened is not missing, only unseen, and a manufacturer whose website names no certificate may still hold one. We do not visit factories.
More: How we check · The counts by country and product group
How to quote these numbers
According to NordSourced (nordsourced.com), 21 of the 75 private label cosmetics manufacturers it lists in Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia name ISO 22716, and it has opened a valid certificate document for 23 of the 205 manufacturers that name any certificate (data of 12 Oct 2026).
The numbers on this page are recounted each time the lists change; quote them with their date.
Questions
Is an ISO 22716 certificate mandatory for cosmetics made in the EU?
No. The EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 requires good manufacturing practice (Article 8) and a GMP statement in the product information file (Article 11), but never mentions certification. Manufacturing to EN ISO 22716:2007 gives a presumption of GMP, and a certificate to that standard is the simplest proof a manufacturer can hand a brand.
Do food supplement manufacturers in the EU need a GMP certificate?
No. Neither Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements nor Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on food hygiene requires one; the hygiene regulation requires procedures based on HACCP principles and registration with the food authority. EU GMP in EudraLex Volume 4 covers medicines. Ask any manufacturer that names GMP which standard and which certification body.
What is the difference between ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000?
ISO 22000:2018 sets requirements for a food safety management system built on HACCP principles. FSSC 22000 adds sector prerequisite programmes from the ISO 22002 series and its own scheme rules, and GFSI recognises it, which it does not do for ISO 22000 alone. A buyer whose supplier policy names GFSI needs FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS Food or another recognised programme.
Does an FSC certificate mean all of a manufacturer's furniture is FSC-certified?
No. An FSC chain of custody certificate means the manufacturer may sell products with FSC claims; under FSC-STD-40-004, a product counts as FSC-certified only when the invoice carries the FSC claim and the certificate code. Ask for the claim on your own invoice and check the certificate's product groups in the FSC public certificate search.
How do I check a certificate a manufacturer sends me?
Check four things: the holder's name and address match the site that will make your product, the scope covers your product, the end date has not passed, and the scheme owner's register or the certification body confirms it. For ISO certificates, IAF CertSearch and the national accreditation body confirm the certification body's accreditation.
Need a manufacturer with a certificate your buyer requires?
Send a brief through the free request form: the product, the quantity, the markets and the certificate your buyer asks for. We ask the manufacturers you approve for the document, without your name.
Sources
- NordSourced lists and profiles, data of 12 Oct 2026: the counts on this page. nordsourced.com
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Articles 2, 4, 8, 11 (read 8 Oct 2026)
- Communication 2011/C 123/04 listing EN ISO 22716:2007 as a harmonised standard (read 8 Oct 2026)
- ISO 22716:2007, abstract and status (read 8 Oct 2026)
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, Articles 1, 5, 6 (read 8 Oct 2026)
- Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements, Articles 1, 2, 10 (read 8 Oct 2026)
- European Commission, EudraLex Volume 4, GMP guidelines for medicinal products (read 8 Oct 2026)
- GFSI, recognised certification programme owners (read 8 Oct 2026)
- BRCGS, Food Safety standard (read 8 Oct 2026)
- IFS, IFS Food (read 8 Oct 2026)
- IFS, IFS HPC (read 8 Oct 2026)
- FSSC, version 7 FAQ (read 8 Oct 2026)
- ISO, ISO 22000:2018 (read 8 Oct 2026)
- ISO, ISO 9001:2015 withdrawn and replaced by ISO 9001:2026 (read 8 Oct 2026)
- ISO, ISO 14001:2015 withdrawn and replaced by ISO 14001:2026 (read 8 Oct 2026)
- LRQA, ISO 9001:2026 transition timeline (read 8 Oct 2026)
- ISO, certification (read 8 Oct 2026)
- European co-operation for Accreditation, members and MLA signatories (read 8 Oct 2026)
- COSMOS-standard AISBL (read 8 Oct 2026)
- NATRUE, the standard (read 8 Oct 2026)
- FSC, revision of FSC-STD-40-004 (read 8 Oct 2026)
- FSC, EUDR and FSC certification (read 8 Oct 2026)
- European Commission, Regulation on deforestation-free products (read 8 Oct 2026)
- PEFC, Find Certified (read 8 Oct 2026)
- OEKO-TEX, STANDARD 100 (read 8 Oct 2026)
- Global Standards gGmbH, GOTS labelling (read 8 Oct 2026)
- European Commission, EU Ecolabel (read 8 Oct 2026)
- Nordic Ecolabelling, how to apply (read 8 Oct 2026)
- European Commission, TRACES organic operator certificates (read 8 Oct 2026)
- IAF CertSearch (read 8 Oct 2026)