FSSC 22000

The Food Safety System Certification 22000 scheme - FSSC 22000 - has been developed for food manufacturers that process or manufacture animal or perishable vegetal products, products with a long shelf life and food ingredients such as additives, vitamins and bio-cultures.

A combination of ISO 22000:2005, the global food safety management system standard and PAS 220, a standard developed to address prerequisite programme requirements for food product and ingredient manufacturers, it is essentially the first global food safety standard specifically targeted at the food manufacturing industry.

FSSC 22000 includes transportation and on site storage if part of the operation. It is applicable to all food manufacturers, regardless of size, complexity and status of their organisation.

The scheme is split into four parts:

• Part I – requirements of food safety system and guidance on how to apply for certification
• Part II – requirements for providing certification, including the regulation for certification bodies and the harmonization committee
• Part III – requirements for providing accreditation, including the regulation for accreditation bodies
• Part IV – regulations for the Board of Stakeholders

The FSSC scheme has also been benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), against the requirements laid out in the GFSI Guidance Document Version 5.

How can FSSC 22000 benefit my organisation?

This standard helps address the fragmentation of standards across the food industry. In response to food scares, major manufacturers and retailers have introduced bespoke standards which can now be harmonised by using FSSC 22000 as a base, and adding specific additional requirements as necessary.

This will make it much easier for producers and suppliers to sell to a varied range of clients. Producers gain greater control over their processes, and a more holistic view of their organisation. The audits also form the basis for continual improvement, and benchmarking on a global level. Standardisation makes it easier to sell into new markets, and to new customers.

The scheme is designed to deliver:

• greater transparency around food standards
• global standards that everyone recognises
• more effective third party auditing that eases the burden on regulators - regulators can use the new standards as a first point of assessment
• Cost savings through process efficiencies leading and streamlined auditing.

Manufacturers already ISO 22000 certified will only need an additional analysis against PAS 220 to gain certification to FSSC 22000. Manufacturers not certified to ISO 22000 will require a gap analysis to determine their most practical route to FSSC 22000 certification.

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