ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management
ISO 50001 for food industry: get certified online
Cold rooms, ovens, steam and washing lines make energy one of the largest costs in a food business. ISO 50001 shows buyers that you measure it and manage it. With Zertify you answer 32 yes/no questions online and receive the certificate within 4 hours of passing and payment.
01: Demand
Why do buyers in the food sector ask for ISO 50001?
A retail buyer or a large processor sends a supplier questionnaire. Somewhere between product specifications and delivery terms sits a question about your energy management. If you cannot point to a recognised standard, the purchasing department has to take your word for it.
Food production is energy-heavy by nature. Products are chilled, frozen, heated, dried or sterilised, and the plant runs for long shifts. Customers who report on their own supply chain want to know that a supplier tracks this consumption and works to reduce it. A tender for catering, canteen supply or private-label production may ask for the same evidence.
There is a commercial side as well. A producer that knows its energy baseline can quote with more confidence when energy prices move, and can show a customer audit where the savings came from.
02: Energy uses
Which energy uses in a food business does the standard cover?
ISO 50001 asks you to find your significant energy uses: the few systems that account for most of the consumption. In a food business they are usually easy to name.
- Refrigeration and cold storage
- Compressors, cold rooms and freezers run around the clock. Door seals, defrost cycles and set temperatures all show up in the meter reading.
- Steam and hot water
- Boilers supply cooking, pasteurising and cleaning. Boiler efficiency and lost condensate are typical findings.
- Ovens and dryers
- A bakery oven that heats up hours before the first batch, or a dryer running half empty, is a measurable loss.
- Compressed air
- Packaging and filling lines use it constantly. Leaks in the pipework waste energy without anyone noticing.
- Washing and cleaning lines
- Hot water, pumps and drying after each shift add up, especially in dairies, butcheries and ready-meal kitchens.
- Ventilation and building services
- Extraction in production halls, lighting in storage areas and heating of offices and loading bays.
03: Requirements
How does a food company meet the key requirements?
The requirements of ISO 50001 follow the usual management system structure: planning in clause 6, operation in clause 8, performance evaluation in clause 9, improvement in clause 10. The table shows what each key requirement can look like in a food plant.
| Requirement | Example in a food business |
|---|---|
| Establish an energy baseline | Twelve months of electricity, gas and heating oil bills for a bakery site, matched with production volumes. |
| Identify significant energy uses | A ranking shows refrigeration and the steam boiler together make up most of a dairy's consumption. |
| Define energy performance indicators | Kilowatt hours per tonne of product, or per 1,000 packed units, tracked monthly. |
| Set energy objectives and action plans | Replace worn door seals on cold rooms, repair compressed air leaks, switch ovens on later. Each action has an owner and a date. |
| Procure energy-efficient products and services | When a chiller or a packing line is replaced, the energy rating is part of the purchasing decision. |
| Monitor and improve energy performance | The production manager reviews the indicators every month and records what changed. |
None of this requires new equipment. A site with a few sub-meters and a spreadsheet can meet the requirements, provided the numbers are kept and reviewed.
04: Preparation
What should you gather before the self-assessment?
The questions are easier to answer with documents at hand. Ask the person who handles utilities and the person who runs production to sit down together for an hour.
Energy bills
Electricity, gas, oil or district heat for the last twelve months, per site.
Equipment list
Refrigeration, boilers, ovens, compressors and large motors, with approximate running hours.
Production figures
Monthly output in tonnes, litres or units, so consumption can be set against volume.
A named responsible person
Someone who owns the energy objectives and reports to management.
Current actions
Any measure already planned or done: leak repairs, new lighting, heat recovery.
05: Zertify
How do you get ISO 50001 certified with Zertify?
You start the self-assessment online, with no account needed. It has 32 yes/no questions for ISO 50001. Thirteen of them are mandatory requirements of the standard and must all be answered yes. Of the other 19 questions, at least 13 need a yes to pass.
SICE reviews every assessment. Once you have passed and paid, the certificate is issued by G6 Agency AG under licence from SICE, within 4 hours. It is a PDF with a certificate number and a QR code. Your customer opens the public verification page and checks it in seconds, which suits a supplier questionnaire or a tender attachment.
The price is CHF 749 (€749) in the first year, then CHF 499 (€499) per year including the yearly online re-audit. The certificate is valid for 3 years. The subscription renews automatically and you can cancel it in your customer account at any time to the end of the current year. If you cancel, the certificate ends with the paid year. If you certify a second or third standard, you get 20% off for two standards and 30% off for three or more, also on the yearly fee. Swiss customers pay 8.1% VAT, included in the price.
There is no on-site audit. If a customer insists on the classic route with an on-site audit by a certification body, the guides below explain how the routes differ.
06: FAQ
Questions about ISO 50001 in the food industry
07: Guide
Related pages
Check where your food business stands on ISO 50001
Answer 32 yes/no questions and receive your certificate within 4 hours of passing and payment.
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