FSSC 22000

FSSC 22000 is developed for the food industry

This standard is revolutionary within the food industry as it is the first industry-standard to be accepted worldwide. The FSSC 22000 standard is becoming increasingly popular within the food industry, as it has been approved by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative). At present, there are approximately 24000 certified companies worldwide. The advantage of this standard is therefore that it can be used worldwide. As a result, this reduces uncontrolled growth due to local standards and norms.

What is FSSC 22000 based on?

The FSSC 22000 is based on the ISO 22000 standard in combination with ISO/TS 22002 for food manufacturers. The standard consists of three components.

These are:

1. ISO 22000:2018;
2. Sector Specific Pre-requisite Program (PRP) ISO/TS 22002 (are the basic requirements)
3. Specific FSSC 22000 requirements

The FSSC 22000 standard is a food safety management system that focuses on the PDCA approach. This concerns both the organizational level and the operational level. There is also a focus on risk-based thinking about the company as a whole and in the field of HACCP.

ISO 22000 consists of 10 chapters, 7 of which consist of standard requirements:

• Chapter 4 Context of the organization
• Chapter 5 Leadership
• Chapter 6 Planning
• Chapter 7 Support
• Chapter 8 Operation
• Chapter 9 Performance evaluation
• Chapter 10 Improvement

The ISO/TS 22002 consists of 18 chapters, 15 of which consist of standard requirements:

• Chapter 4 Construction and layout of buildings
• Chapter 5 Layout of premises and workspace
• Chapter 6 Utilities – air, water, energy
• Chapter 7 Waste disposal
• Chapter 8 Equipment suitability, cleaning, and maintenance
• Chapter 9 Management of purchased materials
• Chapter 10 Measures for prevention of cross-contamination
• Chapter 11 Cleaning and sanitizing
• Chapter 12 Pest control
• Chapter 13 Personnel hygiene and employee facilities
• Chapter 14 Rework
• Chapter 15 Product recall procedures
• Chapter 16 Warehousing
• Chapter 17 Product information/consumer awareness
• Chapter 18 Food defense, biovigilance, and bioterrorism

FSSC 22000 does not work with scores on the certificate. There is, however, a three-year cycle in which there will be one mandatory unannounced audit in those three years.

Tips for an FSSC 22000 audit

• Don’t forget the appendix: extra standard requirements (nice surprise during an audit if these are not explained in the crosstab).
• FSSC 22000 does not work with scores on the certificate. There is, however, a three-year cycle in which there will be one mandatory unannounced audit in those three years.
• Use PAS 96 for Food Defense.
• The big difference between FSSC 22000 and, for example, BRC and IFS, is that there is no checklist that states exactly what is and what is not accepted (as is the case with BRC/IFS).
• The FSSC 22000 standard leaves more room for interpretation and individual insight. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage.
• Certain risks can be excluded by means of well-substantiated arguments in the HACCP analysis. In this way, a practical and workable system can be created for every company.

More tips about Food Audits

Different standards compared to FSSC 22000

The big difference between FSSC 22000 and, for example, BRC and IFS, is that there is no checklist that states exactly what is and what is not accepted (as is the case with BRC/IFS). The FSSC 22000 standard leaves more room for interpretation and individual insight. Certain risks can be excluded by means of well-substantiated arguments in the HACCP analysis. In this way, a practical and workable system can be created for every company.

Read more about FSSC 22000 and the other standards in the presentation for module 3 of the Food Safety Compliance training.

Do you have any questions about the FSSC 22000 standard?

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