FSSC 22000 Certification

The internationally effective certification system Food Safety System Certification (FSSC 22000) is aimed at companies along the entire supply chain in the food sector. It is now in its 5th version and is based on the DIN EN ISO 22000 standards, the technical specifications for specific preventive programmes for food safety and additional requirements of the standard setter. The standard is recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

The FSSC 22000 certification system supports companies with regard to food safety and quality management . Certified companies demonstrate with FSSC 22000 that they meet the requirements and expectations of authorities, business partners and consumers. With FSSC 22000, the companies make a valuable contribution to safety within the supply chain and also internationally.

The catalogue of requirements for FSSC 22000 certification is made up of three elements.

These are:

• The ISO 22000 standard in its current version
• Relevant Preventive Programmes (PRPs), which are based on category-specific technical specifications.
• Additional requirements on the part of FSSC 22000

There are different technical specifications applicable to the different sectors:

• Agriculture: ISO/TS 22002-3,
• Food production: ISO/TS 22002-1:2009
• Manufacture of animal feed: ISO/TS 22002-6:2016
• Catering sector: ISO/TS 22002-2:2013
• Retail/wholesale: BSI/PAS 221:2013
• Storage and transport: NEN/NTA 8069:2016
• Manufacture of packaging materials: ISO/TS 22002-4:2013 

In contrast to the pure ISO 22000, the FSSC (Food Safety System Certification) is recognised by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative).

The certification is suitable for companies of any size that produce, process or package animal or plant products or other food ingredients and additives. Prerequisites are the introduction of a quality management system for food safety as well as the consideration of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). With successful certification, companies have objective proof in their trading partnerships that they have implemented an audited food safety management system.

COID stands for Certified Organization Identification Code and refers to the unique identification number that is uniquely assigned to each company certified according to FSSC 22000. The aim of the COID is the unique identification of certified organisations even in the event of a change of certifier and the associated change of certificate number. The COID will be introduced for all certified companies by 31.01.2023 and will be entered in the FSSC Assurance Portal as well as on the certificate.

• ISO 22000 as a structuring standard
• PRPs as sector-specific preventive programmes to ensure technical specifications in application
• Additional FSSC 22000 requirements

In particular, the requirements for food safety and quality culture (all categories of the food chain) have been formulated in more detail. The obligation of a company is to set, implement and maintain food safety and quality culture targets.

These objectives must relate to the following elements:

• Communication
• Training
• Feedback and engagement of staff
• Performance measurement of defined activities
• Food safety and quality culture plan, including targets and timelines

The quality control requirements (all categories of the food chain) provide for the following:

• Establish, implement and maintain a quality policy and quality objectives.
• Establishment, implementation and maintenance of quality parameters
• analysis and evaluation of the results of the quality control parameters
• Inclusion of these quality elements in the scope of the internal audit
• Establish and implement procedures for quantity control
• Establishing and implementing procedures for the commissioning and conversion of production lines

Equipment management (all categories of the food chain, except FII) requires:

• Documented purchasing specifications for equipment
• Risk-based change management process for equipment
• Evidence of successful commissioning

Food losses and wastage (all categories of the food chain, except I) requires

• Documented policy and targets for food loss and waste reduction strategy.
• Controls to manage product donations
• Management of surplus produce/products destined as animal feed/food
• No compromise on food safety

The communication requirements (all categories of the food chain) include in version 6:

• Organisations must notify their certification body within 3 working days of the onset of a serious event or situation
• Implement appropriate measures as part of their emergency preparedness and response.
• Serious events include war, strikes, terrorism, crime, floods, earthquakes, etc.
• Serious situations include public food safety events, regulatory actions, legal proceedings, and fraudulent activities and corruption