On March 31, 2023, the Foundation FSSC published Version 6 of the FSSC 22000 scheme, which serves as the foremost standard for Food Safety Management Systems. The FSSC brand is renowned for instilling trust and delivering tangible impact to the Consumer Goods Industry.
The FSSC schemes are designed to assist organizations in implementing effective management systems, safeguarding their brands, and achieving their food safety objectives. Furthermore, the Foundation strives to facilitate the contributions of organizations towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create a better world.
The updated Version 6 of the FSSC 22000 scheme was introduced for three primary reasons:
Integrating the provisions of ISO 22003-1:2022
Bolstering the requirements to support organizations in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Incorporating feedback obtained through a Version 6 development survey, which elicited almost 2000 responses.
Organizations will be provided with a 12-month transition period to enable them to prepare for the updated Version, and certification bodies (CBs) will be granted accreditation for its implementation. The audits for Version 6 will commence on April 1, 2024, and all organizations must complete the V6 upgrade audit before March 31, 2025.
The Foundation has published a Version 6 Upgrade Process document, outlining the transition requirements and a version of the scheme highlighting the changes between V5.1 and V6.
The main changes included in Version 6 of the FSSC 22000 scheme are as follows:
Realignment of the Food Chain Categories as per ISO 22003-1:2022
Expansion of the scope to include Trading and Brokering (FII) and reduction by removing Farming and FSSC 22000-Quality from the scheme
Integration of requirements for food safety and quality culture
New provisions for quality control, food loss and waste, and equipment management
Strengthening existing additional requirements in Part 2 of the scheme, including allergen management and environmental monitoring
Changes and clarification of the requirements for the Certification Process
Addition of a QR Code on FSSC 22000 certificates to improve traceability.
For more information, the Version 6 scheme documents, the upgrade process, and the main changes version are available for download on the Foundation’s website free of charge.
