FSSC 2200

Food Safety System Certification Scheme

FSSC 22000 is an International Standard developed for the certification of Food Safety Management Systems for food manufacturers.

It combines the requirements of ISO 22000:2018 (Food Safety Management Systems requirements) ,prerequisite programmes and Version 5 additional requirements

The FSSC 22000 scheme is fully recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GSFI), the benchmarking body for the harmonization of international food safety standards, along with other food safety management schemes like the BRCGS, IFS and SQF schemes. The strong element of ISO 22000:2018  in the standard makes it align with other generic management systems such as the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 to enable effective system integration.

Brief Background to FSSC 22000

ISO 22000:2018 was not approved through the GSFI benchmarking process primarily because the requirement for prerequisite programmes for food manufacturing was not detailed in the standards, due largely to its ‘entire food chain’ coverage. This led to further work championed by the large food manufacturers including Kraft, Nestle,  DANONE and Unilever under the aegis of the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the European Union ; that led to the introduction in 2008 of the  prerequisite programmes.

The Foundation for Food safety developed and has ownership of the FSSC 22000 standard based primarily on the combination of the requirements of ISO 22000:2005 and PAS220:2008. FSSC 22000 has received full recognition by the GSFI having successfully passed through the benchmarking process and now Version 5 with ISO 22000 2018 , PRP, additional requirements for FSSC Food safety and ISO 9001 2015,PRP and V5 additional requirements for FSSC  . Licensed certification bodies can audit against the requirements and issue certificates for FSSC 22000

Who Should Use FSSC 22000?

Unlike ISO 22000:2018, which is applicable to all organizations along the food chain; FSSC 22000 is specifically designed for food manufacturers. The scheme is intended for the audit and certification of the food safety management system   of food manufacturers that process or manufacture:

perishable animal products, excluding slaughtering and pre-slaughtering (i.e. meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and fish products).

perishable vegetal products (i.e. fresh fruits and fresh juices, preserved fruits, fresh vegetables, preserved vegetables).

products with long shelf life at ambient temperature (i.e. canned products, biscuits, snacks, oil, drinking water, beverages, pasta, flour, sugar, salt).

(bio)chemical products for food manufacturing (i.e. vitamins additives and bio-cultures) but excluding technical and technological aids.

Gas as food ingredient(eg CO2)

Note: transport and storage on site and as part of the operation are included (e.g. cheese ripening). It is applicable to all food manufacturing organizations in these categories, regardless of size and complexity, whether profit-making or not and whether public or private.

Benefits of Achieving Certification to FSSC 22000

Customer satisfaction - through delivery of products that consistently meet customer requirements including quality, safety and legality

Reduced operating costs - through continual improvement of processes and resulting operational efficiencies

Operational efficiencies - by integrating pre-requisite programs (PRP’s & OPRP’s), HACCP with the Plan-Do-Check-Act philosophies of ISO 9001 to increase the effectiveness of the Food Safety Management System

Improved stakeholder relationships - including staff, customers and suppliers

Legal compliance - by understanding how statutory and regulatory requirements impact the organization and its customers and testing compliance through internal audits and management reviews

Improved risk management - through greater consistency and traceability of product

Proven business credentials - through independent verification against recognized standards

Ability to win more business - particularly where procurement specifications require certification as a condition to supply. 

What if my company is already ISO 22000 certified?

If your company is already ISO 22000 certified, then the only requirement will be an additional and typically shorter audit to verify compliance of your system to the requirements of Pre requisite Programme ( ISO 22002-1 2009) and additional requirements. An FSSC 22000:2010 certificate will be issued following successful audit.