FSSC – 22000 : Food Safety system Certification Scheme
FSSC 22000:2010 (Food Safety System Certification) is an international standard developed for the certification of Food Safety Management Systems for food manufacturing organisations. It combines the requirements of ISO 22000:2005(Food Safety Management Systems Requirements) and PAS 220:2008 (Prerequisite Programmes on Food Safety for Food Manufacturing).
The FSSC 22000:2010 scheme is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the benchmarking body for the harmonization of international food safety standards, along with other food safety management schemes like the BRC, IFS and SQF. The inclusion of ISO 22000 requirements in the FSSC 22000 standard makes it align with other generic management systems such as the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 to enable effective system integration. FSSC 22000 is a complete certification scheme for food safety management systems.
ISO 22000 is very useful to harmonize the food safety management systems based on the HACCP principles; its general nature limits its suitability for the retailers to guarantee their own supply chain, needing more detailed and food manufacturing specific “pre-requisite program” related requirements (e.g., with regards to the “due diligence” issue). This is the underlying reason for setting up a new certification scheme targeting food manufacturers in particular, combining the management system approach, HACCP methodology and detailed guidelines regarding pre-requisite programmes.
FSSC 22000 is a complete certification scheme for food safety management systems. It is based on ISO 22000, the global food safety management system standard and PAS 220, a standard developed to address prerequisite programme requirements for food product and ingredient manufacturers.
The requirements and guidelines of FSSC 22000 are described in four parts:
• Part I – requirements of food safety system and guidance on how to apply for certification • Part II – requirements for providing certification, including the regulation for certification bodies and the harmonization committee • Part III – requirements for providing accreditation, including the regulation for accreditation bodies • Part IV – regulations for the Board of Stakeholders
Unlike ISO 22000 which is applicable to all organisations along the food chain; FSSC 22000 is specifically designed for food manufacturers. The scheme is intended for the audit and certification of the food safety management system of food manufacturers that process or manufacture:
• Perishable animal products, excluding slaughtering and pre-slaughtering (i.e. meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and fish products);
• Perishable vegetal products (i.e. fresh fruits and fresh juices, preserved fruits, fresh vegetables, preserved vegetables)
• Products with long shelf life at ambient temperature (i.e. canned products, biscuits, snacks, oil, drinking water, beverages, pasta, flour, sugar, salt)
• (Bio) chemical products for food manufacturing (i.e. vitamins additives and bio-cultures) but excluding technical and technological aids.
Note: transport and storage on site and as part of the operation are included (e.g. cheese ripening). It is applicable to all food manufacturing organisations in these categories, regardless of size and complexity, whether profit-making or not and whether public or private.
FSSC 22000:2010 is based on ISO 22000, PAS 220 (ISO TS 22002-1) and ISO/TS 22003 (the standard establishing the certification rules). Certification according to this scheme will be accredited under the standard ISO 17021 (management system certification). The distinctive item of this certification scheme is the use of the Publicly Available Specification PAS 220, which has been developed to specify requirements for prerequisite programs (as per ISO 22000 § 7.2) to assist in controlling food safety standards within the manufacturing processes of the food supply chain. ISO TS 22002-1:2009 is based on PAS 220, and can be equally used.
PAS 220 was published on October 2008 by British Standards Institution (BSI) and sponsored by Danone, Kraft, Nestle, Unilever and Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the European Union (CIAA).
PAS 220, as well as ISO TS 22002-1, complements ISO 22000 and provides a common set of 18 pre-requisite programmes for use by food manufacturers:
The next step was to bring ISO 22000 and PAS 220 together resulting in the new FSSC 22000 food safety management system certification schemes, with the Foundation for Food Safety (SCV) taking the ownership of the scheme and submitting it to GFSI for approval. Finally the ISO TS 22002-1 was released, fully consistent with PAS 220 and accepted by FSSC, allowing the first “totally ISO standards” food safety certification scheme.
» Proven business credentials – through independent verification against recognized standards
» Ability to win more business – particularly where procurement specifications require certification as a condition to supply
» Customer satisfaction – through delivery of products that consistently meet customer requirements including quality, safety and legality
» Reduced operating costs – through continual improvement of processes and resulting operational efficiencies
» Operational efficiencies – by integrating pre-requisite programs (PRP’s & OPRP’s), HACCP with the Plan-Do-Check-Act philosophies of ISO 9001, the effectiveness of the Food Safety Management System is improved
» Improved stakeholder relationships – including staff, customers and suppliers
» Legal compliance – by verifying conformity to statutory and regulatory requirements
» Improved risk management – through greater consistency and traceability of product.
The process described in FSSC 22000 includes the following steps:
• Identify, evaluate, and control the food safety hazards that may be expected to occur in order to avoid harming the consumer directly or indirectly
• Communicate appropriate information through the food chain regarding safety issues related to the product
• Communicate information concerning development, implementation, and updating of the food safety management system throughout the organization
• Evaluate periodically and update, when necessary, the food safety management system to cover the company’s actual activities and the most recent information on food safety hazards.
One of the most important things to remember is that development, implementation, documentation and certification of a food safety management system is a continuous journey, with the independent audit representing one element of the total assessment process.
› Does it applicable to food product packaging Industries also?
Extension of scope FSSC 22000 with Food Packaging Material Manufacturing
The Foundation for Food Safety Certification, owner of the FSSC 22000 certification scheme, will extend the certification scope of FSSC 22000 with Packaging Material Manufacturing according the recent publication of the PAS 223 – Prerequisite programmes and design requirements for food safety in the manufacture and provision of food packaging.
The PAS 223 is developed by a Steering Group, consisting of leading global packaging and food manufacturing companies. The fact that members of the working group are representatives from international food manufacturers (like Coca Cola, Unilever, Danone, Nestlé, Kraft) but also from international packaging material manufacturers (like TetraPak, Rexam, Amcor, O-I, Berry Plastics) gives the Board of the Foundation great confidence that there will be a need for certification.
Next to the need for extension of the FSSC scope this development is also in line with the commitment for FSSC from the international food manufacturers. They are in favour of the supply chain model in which FSSC can provide certification for more sectors in the supply chain, based on ISO 22000 and technical specifications for sector PRP’s. At this moment experts from the Packaging Material Industry and the Foundation are working on this extension of scope.
› What if my company is currently ISO 22000 certified?
If your company is currently ISO 22000 certified, then the only requirement will be an additional and typically shorter audit to verify compliance of your system to the requirements of PAS 220:2008. An FSSC 22000 certificate will be issued following successful audit.
› Steps for FSSC 22000 certification :
• Gap-analysis, to help you understand your best route to certification
• Training on FSSC 22000, ISO 22000 and PAS 220 – ISO TS 22002-1
• Documentation, implementation and certification support activities according to FSSC 22000:2010 standard requirements
4C Consulting Pvt. Ltd. is one of the leading professional consulting firm for FSSC 22000:2010 Food Safety system Certification. We are the FSSC 22000:2010 consultant and consulting for FSSC 22000:2010 Certification, FSSC 22000:2010 Training, FSSC 22000:2010 Implementation, FSSC 22000:2010 Documentation in Ahmedabad, Baroda Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Vaapi, Ankleshwar, Mumbai Bombay, Pune, Bangalore, Maharashtra, Gujarat, India USA, Canada, Europe, U.K., France, Japan, China,UAE, Kuwait, Middle East, Asia & Africa.
