FSSC 22000
FOUNDATION FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM Certification
The Foundation Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000) offers a complete certification Scheme for the auditing and certification of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) or FSMS and Quality Management Systems (FSSC 22000-Quality).
FSSC 22000 is based on the widely recognized Food Management System Standard ISO 22000, the industry relevant Pre-Requisite Program (PRP) and FSSC defined additional requirements.
It specifically targets the food, feed and packaging manufacturing sector as well as the storage and distribution, catering and retail/wholesale sectors.
Help customers to find your organization
The scope is now broader that just for Food Manufacturing as other Technical Specifications have been developed over the years, e.g. ISO/TS 22001-2 (Catering), ISO/TS 22002-4 (Food Packaging), ISO/TS 22002-6 (Animal feed), ISO/TS 22002-5 (Transport and storage), etc.
From April 1st 2021 all food safety management systems of certified organizations or new applicants are mandated to be audited against the latest version of the scheme, Version 5.1 published by the FSSC Foundation in November 2020.
Once registered, you accept your organization to be listed in the Foundations database, which share a list of certified organizations and display information with regard to the certification status of your company. The website can be found at www.fssc.com. This database is regularly used by customers looking to validate an organization’s certification and it can be shared with governmental authorities when appropriate.
Benefits of becoming certified
FSSC 22000 provides a certification scheme that ensures a robust food safety management system to control food safety hazards, minimize risks, and ensure safe food production. Reliability in delivering safe food contributes to consumer trust and, eventually, consumer loyalty. The standard enables your organization to:
- Provide evidence of commitment to identify, evaluate, and control the food safety hazards that may be expected to occur in order to avoid harming the consumer directly or indirectly.
- Build and operate a management system capable of helping you to better meet food quality/safety requirements and legal compliance
- Provide a tool for food safety performance improvement, and the means to monitor and measure food safety performance effectively
- Develop a good food safety culture which in turn improves customer confidence and aids in acquiring competitive advantages.
FSSC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
In the expanding global food Industry, small and medium-sized organizations (SMEs) play a significant role in the food supply chain. To support these organizations in the supply of safe food Global Market audit programs have been initiated in 2011 through an effective food safety management systems through a systematic continuous improvement process.
In 2020, FSSC has issued a second version of their Global Market audit program FSSC Development Program.
The FSSC Development Program provides a two-level approach to support SMEs in producing safe food. It is aligned with CODEX HACCP, GFSI Global Markets and fits into the FSSC 22000 structure. As such, the Program is especially suitable for SMEs who want to meet the food safety requirements of their clients or have the ambition to enlarge their market access. Organizations that conform with the FSSC Development Program requirements have the added benefit of being listed in the public register on the FSSC website.
Global recognition as a reputable supplier
Certification is recognized internationally and accepted throughout industry supply chains, setting industry benchmarks for sourcing suppliers.
Win more business
Procurement specifications often require certification as a condition to supply, so certification and verification opens doors
Proven business credentials
Independent verification against a globally recognized industry standard speaks volumes.
Legal Compliance
Understand how statutory and regulatory requirements impact your organization and its customers.
What is FSSC 22000 ?
FSSC 22000 is a food safety certification scheme based on the existing internationally recognized standard ISO 22000 and complemented by technical standards, such as ISO TS 22002-1 for food manufacturing and ISO TS 22002-4 for packaging manufacturing. It is also fully consistent with other standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 (including the alignment with ISO High Level Structure).
It specifically targets the food, feed and packaging manufacturing sector as well as the storage and distribution, catering and retail/wholesale sectors. While the first editions of FSSC 22000 only applied to food manufacturers, the scope for current version has been extended to other segments of the supply chain, and it’s recognized by Global Food Safety Initiative – GFSI.
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Step 1
Complete a Quote Request Form so that we can understand your company and requirements. You can do this by completing either the online quick quote or the online formal quote request form. We will use this information to accurately define your scope of assessment and provide you with a proposal for certification.
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Step 2
Once you’ve agreed your proposal, we will contact you to book your assessment with an WECERT Assessor. This assessment consists of two mandatory visits that form the Initial Certification Audit. Please note that you must be able to demonstrate that your management system has been fully operational for a minimum of three months and has been subject to a management review and full cycle of internal audits.
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Step 3
Following a successful two stage audit, a certification decision is made and if positive, then certification to the required standard is issued by WECERT. You will receive both a hard and soft copy of the certificate. Certification is valid for three years and is maintained through a programme of annual surveillance audits and a three yearly recertification audit.
