General
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How does FSSC 22000 V6 fit into an Integrated Management System (IMS)?
FSSC 22000 fits perfectly into an IMS, as it is based on the ISO harmonized structure. Although V6 includes additional requirements on Quality Control and Quality Culture, the overall management system approach remains the same. Beyond food safety, the additional Food Loss and Waste requirements support a silo-breaking approach contributing towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Is the audit preparation and reporting time still the same as for V5.1?
The preparation time remains the same. However, for V6, the reporting time has been increased to at least 1.0 auditor days (8 working hours) to ensure sufficient time is provided for auditors to construct the audit report following the requirements of Annex 2 of the Scheme.
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Is a full remote audit possible?
A full remote audit is only applicable in the case of a serious event and can only be applied where the requirements of the Full Remote Audit Addendum have been met. Category FII (Trading and Brokering) is the exception to this rule, where a full remote audit is allowed under normal circumstances in the case of surveillance audits; the requirements of the Full Remote Audit Addendum must also be met.
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Has the Foundation included any additional measures to ensure certificate authenticity?
In addition to the COID (Certified Organization Identification Code) introduced to the Scheme via the BoS Decision List in December 2022, Version 6 of the Scheme also includes a requirement for a QR Code to be included on the certificate.
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Does the upgrade audit need to be delivered as an announced audit?
The upgrade audit may be conducted, announced, or unannounced if the latter meets the 3-yearly unannounced audit requirements.
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Can an organization utilize the ICT audit approach method for upgrade audits?
For upgrade audits using the ICT Audit Approach method, both the remote and onsite components shall be completed against V6 from 1 April 2024 onwards. It is not possible to conduct part of the audit to a different Scheme version.
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Does the FSSC 22000 Scheme cover all the categories of ISO 22003-1:2022?
Version 6 of the Scheme covers (sub)categories: BIII, C (C0, CI, CII, CIII, CIV), D, E, F (FI, FII), G, I, and K.
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Where can I find the FSSC 22000 logo, and what are the rules for applying it?
Certified organizations shall use the FSSC 22000 logo only for marketing activities such a the organization’s printed matter, website and other promotional material. In case of using the logo, the certified organization shall request a copy of the latest FSSC logo from their Certification Body.
Chapter 2.5.5 ‘Logo use (all food categories)’ of the FSSC 22000 Version 6 Scheme document offers all requirements around this topic.
Guidance Documents
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Will FSSC also update the existing Guidance Document on Food Safety Culture to include Quality Culture?
The Foundation has revised and published a Food Safety and Quality Culture Guidance Document.
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Is there a Guidance Document available for Allergen Risk Assessments?
Currently, the Foundation does not have a Guidance Document on Allergen Risk Assessments. We have Guidance Documents on the following subjects:
- Environmental Monitoring,
- Food Defense,
- Food Fraud Mitigation,
- Transport Tanker Cleaning, and
- Food Safety and Quality Culture
All documents have been updated to align with Version 6 and were published in July 2023. These guidance documents can be downloaded from our website.
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Is there a Guidance Document for Food Loss and Waste?
Yes, there is a free FSSC Guidance Document available on Food Loss and Waste. You can download it from the V6 Scheme page on our website.
Download the Guidance Documents here
Main Changes
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Does FSSC 22000 V6 replace FSSC-Quality?
FSSC 22000-Quality has been removed from the Scheme. An additional requirement is now included in Scheme Version 6 on Quality Control. However, this only contains elements of Quality Control and is not equivalent to a Quality Management System (QMS). Organizations wanting a complete QMS certification still need certification against ISO 9001.
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What does FSSC 22000 expect of organizations on the topic of Food Waste?
The organization must have a documented policy and objectives detailing its strategy to reduce Food Loss and Waste within the organization and the related supply chain. The Foundation is developing a Guidance Document on this topic, which will be available later this year.
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Why has the audit duration increased for audits conducted to V6?
Audit duration has increased to ensure a robust audit is delivered, meeting the audit objectives and accommodating the new additional requirements included in V6 of the Scheme.
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The Scheme has added Category BIII, C0, and FII. How do we extend our CB license with the Foundation to include these categories?
Please take a look at Section 2.2.3.1 of FSSC 22000 Version 6 Upgrade Process, which details the requirements for sub-category licensing.
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Our business is currently licensed for FSSC 22000-Quality. What is the transition process for clients that are presently certified to FSSC-Q?
You can find more information on this under Section 2.2.6 of the Version 6 Upgrade Process, which details the FSSC 22000-Quality Transition Plan.
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Our CB currently offers certification against Category A. We see that FSSC has removed this category from Scheme V6. What process must we follow for organizations presently certified in this category?
Please refer to Section 2.2.5 of the Version 6 Upgrade Process, which details the transition process.
Requirements
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Are Interpretation Articles on MyFSSC Knowledge Base required to be adhered to?
The Scheme interpretation articles further clarify requirements and the application or implementation thereof. These interpretation articles need to be adhered to by CBs and certified organizations, as applicable. The CB is responsible for keeping up to date with these interpretation articles and communicating them to the relevant parties within the CB and the Certified Organizations.
Therefore, CBs may sometimes reference and share interpretation articles published by the Foundation with their certified organizations to assist in clarifying specific requirements included within the Scheme.
These Scheme interpretation articles are in place to assist with the clarification of existing requirements rather than to include new requirements. Any further requirements or changes to existing requirements are done through the BoS Decision list or a Scheme version update.
Please take a look at Part 2, Section 2.2 of the V6 Scheme for more details.
Timing
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When will audits against Version 6 commence?
Certification Bodies can deliver audits against the FSSC 22000 Scheme V5.1 until 31 March 2024. Upgrade audits against FSSC 22000 Scheme V6 shall only be conducted from 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2025.
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Our organization is planning to go for initial FSSC 22000 certification in 2024. Do the Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits need to be conducted against the same version of the Scheme?
Both the Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit must be conducted to Version 6 when the audit takes place from 1 April 2024 onwards
OR
Conduct the Stage 1 audit to Version 5.1 (when conducted before 1 April 2024) and Stage 2 to Version 6 (when conducted on or after 1 April 2024). This is as per the Version 6 Upgrade Process document, Section 2.2.2.1 (1). Download the V6 Upgrade Process Requirements document here
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What are the consequences if my certificate still needs to be upgraded to V6 after the V5.1 period ends?
All remaining V5.1 certificates will automatically be set to withdrawn in the Assurance Platform after 31 May 2025 and will no longer be visible on the FSSC 22000 public register of certified organizations on the FSSC website.
Translations
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Will FSSC provide translations for the V6 Scheme documents?
Yes, FSSC has official translations of the FSSC 22000 V6 Scheme available in different languages: Japanese, Chinese, Turkish, Spanish, and Portuguese.