The ISO standard for food safety management systems, ISO 22000, does not have the same level of recognition as GFSI-approved standards such as BRC or IFS. To bridge this gap, a neutral organization based in the Netherlands — the Foundation for Food Safety Certification (FSSC) — has developed the additional elements required to meet GFSI’s benchmarking requirements.
This includes, among other things, specific audit guidance and detailed additional requirements for all prerequisite programs.
FSSC 22000 is based on four key documents:
- ISO 22000:2018 – Food safety management systems.
- ISO 22002-X – Detailed requirements for prerequisite programs.
- FSSC Additional Requirements – Version 5.1 valid until March 31, 2024, and Version 6 effective from April 1, 2024.
- Board of Stakeholders Decision List.
GFSI – Global Food Safety Initiative is an industry-driven organization that provides directives and guidance on food safety required to achieve safe food throughout the supply chain. This work is done through a collaboration between the world’s leading experts in food safety from the retail and manufacturing industries, as well as international organizations, governments, academia and service providers to the global food industry.
GFSI accepts standards that meet GFSI guidelines. Examples of standards for food manufacturing in Sweden are:
- FSSC 22000
- BRC
- IFS
FSSC 22000 has shown very rapid growth, particularly in Sweden. Many companies appreciate its more pragmatic approach, where detailed requirements are not changed as frequently.
Both FSSC and ISO originated from industrial needs and are designed to facilitate trade between parties and countries. The FSSC scheme, which combines ISO 22000 as the core standard with various ISO/TS 22002-X prerequisite program standards and specific FSSC additional requirements, generally results in audits that are about half a day to a full day longer per year than audits for ISO 22000 alone.
However, the principle of shorter surveillance audits remains, and when evaluated over a three-year certification cycle, the overall cost structure is often more favorable compared to BRC or other GFSI-recognized standards.
FSSC 22000 was first finalized in 2011 and continues to evolve with new scopes and categories throughout the food supply chain. FSSC is a GFSI-approved standard, equivalent to the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, and is built on ISO standards — which are developed transparently, without private commercial interests.
Important areas that require some work are vulnerability to external threats and sabotage (food defence) and food fraud. The FSSC requirements focus a lot on what preventive measures the company introduces and then keeps active and updated.
Our certifications in the food industry:
