FSSC 22000 launches version 4.1

06-Aug-2017 - Last updated on 08-Aug-2017 at 14:12 GMT

Certified sites will be audited against version 4.1 from January 1, 2018. Picture: ©iStock

FSSC 22000 has launched version 4.1 of its food safety and quality management system certification scheme.

Publication of GFSI Benchmarking Requirements version 7.0 in March and 7.1 in May and the expected release of 7.2 in 2018 influenced the drafting of FSSC 22000 version 4.1.

The evaluation of FSSC 22000 version 4.1 against European Accreditation (EA) procedure led by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA) and need for clarification and corrections in version 4.0 due to feedback from industry, certification and accreditation bodies influenced the new version.

The updated version includes several new definitions (derived from GFSI BRv7.1) and manufacturing of (bio)chemicals is mentioned as a separate scope.

FSSC 22000 version 4 was released in December 2016.

The FSSC Board of Stakeholders said all certified sites shall be audited against version 4.1 from January 1, 2018.

Meanwhile, the suspension of SQS has been lifted. In April, the FSSC 22000 Sanction Committee decided to suspend the license of SQS for three months.