On June 3, 2019, the new edition of FSSC 22000 was released. One of the triggers for the revision is the introduction of the ISO 22000: 2018 standard, which acts as the basis for certification recognized by the GFSI. The new version of FSSC 22000 brings structural changes in particular, which we present below.
We would like to start off by giving you an insight with regard to the structure of FSSC 22000. The standard is made up of three components: ISO 22000, PRPs and the additional FSSC 22000 requirements. The international standard ISO 22000 forms the structure of FSSC 22000 and outlines the requirements related to the development, implementation and maintenance of the food safety system. The requirements are set out in the ISO 22000:2018 standard.For this reason, the update of ISO 22000 also has a significant impact on FSSC 22000.With the sector-specific preventive programs (PRPs), FSSC 22000 ensures the mandatory application of technical specifications. This is to facilitate the prevention and/or reduction of contamination in products, product development and the working environment. The requirements for this are laid down in the ISO/TS 22002-x series, in NEN/NTA 8059 and/or in the BSI/PAS 221 standard. The additional requirements of FSSC 22000 address service management, product labeling, food safety, and food fraud prevention.
In the new version 5, there is a voluntary quality management module. The elements of ISO 9001 that can be integrated are included in this module in the FSSC 22000 certification. Thus, a food safety management certification can be performed together with a quality management certification.
FSSC 22000 is applied in the following industries: Food manufacturing, food packaging manufacturing, animal feed production and agriculture, transportation and warehousing, catering, and retail and wholesale. The GFSI benchmark applies to food manufacturing (food chain category C), animal feed (D), transportation and storage (G), packaging (I), and biochemicals (K).
One of the main triggers for the revision was the publication of the ISO 22000:2018 standard, which stipulates that all certifications based on the standard must be adapted to the revision within three years, no later than June 29, 2021. For FSSC 22000, ISO 22000 forms the basis, as mentioned above, so a revision was inevitable. The changes to ISO 22000 and thus also to FSSC 22000 are mainly structural. For completeness, we list the changes again below. You can also read about them in our article on the changes to ISO 22000.
Introduction of the High Level Structure: With the recently revised ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, ISO 22000:2018 shares the High Level Structure, the uniform basic structure for management system standards. This will make ISO 22000 comparatively easy to incorporate into integrated management systems.
As is also the case with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, ISO 22000:2018 stands for a risk-based approach. The standard distinguishes between risks at the operational level (HACCP approach) on the one hand, and risks at the management system level on the other - i.e., the risks that affect the ability of the management system to achieve its objectives.
The standard describes two different Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles: The first cycle forms the management system as such; the second cycle, which is embedded in the first, comprises the process steps depicted in clause 8 ("Operation"). The graphic below shows the two cycles and their interaction.
Furthermore, in FSSC 22000 version 5, new definitions have been added as well as additional information on the different categories. Requirements has been improved in the new version and they have used the revision to offer the integrated quality management system audit. Here you can download the revision of FSSC 22000 for free.
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Constanze Illner (she/her) is Research and Communications Officer in the area of sustainability and food safety. In this position, she keeps an eye on all important developments in this context and informs our clientele in a monthly newsletter. She also moderates the annual Sustainability Heroes conference.
