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Benefits

Why FSSC?

Since 2009, we have been growing toward our current position of the leading global certification Scheme owner. Our vision is to contribute to a better world through our ISO Management System-aligned certification Schemes for the consumer goods industry and its related supply chain. Our approach supports organizations to achieve their business objectives and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

We have over fifty professionals working globally on the continuous improvement and innovation of the GFSI-recognized Food Safety Management System FSSC 22000 and the SSCI-recognized Social Management System FSSC 24000.

Foundation FSSC is based in Europe, the Netherlands, and has representatives in North America, Latin America, South Asia, India, Japan, Türkiye, and the Middle East and a liaison in China. We support your organization with our Schemes, from implementation to accreditation, auditing, certification and beyond. Both Schemes target different scopes, categories, and sectors to serve the consumer goods industry and related supply chain partners and service providers.

Our Sectors

Animal Feed

ISO/TS 22002-6 | Category D

Food Manufacturing

ISO/TS 22002-1 | C0, CI, CII, CIII, CIV, K

Packaging Manufacturing

ISO/TS 22002-4 | Category I

Transport and Storage

ISO/TS 22002-5 | Category G

Catering / Food Service

ISO/TS 22002-2 | Category E

Retail, Wholesale and E-commerce

BSI/PAS 221 | Category FI

Why choose an FSSC Scheme?

  • Non-profit

    Foundation FSSC is a not-for-profit organization with an independent governance structure. Giving back is key to FSSC’s strategy. As part of our giving-back strategy, we support United Nations capacity-building activities.

  • Assurance Structure

    Benchmarking ensures an independent body examines not only the technical content of a Scheme but the program management, oversight, and delivery. The FSSC 22000 Scheme has been benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and accepted by the Swiss, Dutch and French governments. Furthermore, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed in 2023 that FSSC 22000 certification requirements as set out in the Scheme and our FSMA Addendum, have proven to successfully align with those of the FDA Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF).  In 2021, our FSSC 22000 Scheme also gained approval by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). The FSSC 24000 Scheme is recognized by the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI), accepted as an IAF MLA sub-scope, and listed in the ITC Standards Map.

  • Giving-back Strategy

    We actively support capacity-building activities through funding and in-kind contributions to help develop stronger food safety systems in low- and middle-income countries.

  • ISO Alignment and Risk Management  

    Aligned with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) management system approach, our certification Schemes integrate a risk-based approach and focus on continuous improvement with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model. FSSC Schemes allow for flexibility in implementation due to the alignment with the ISO Harmonized structure, as well as integration with and auditing against other ISO management system standards. This makes FSSC Schemes unique and internationally applicable.

  • Support for SMEs

    We support small and medium-sized organizations (SMEs) through a process of knowledge-sharing and other tools to further build the understanding of food safety and social sustainability. One of our tools is the FSSC 22000 Development Program. The FSSC 22000 Development Program provides a two-level approach that is aligned with CODEX HACCP, GFSI Global Markets and fits into the FSSC 22000 structure. From a procurement perspective, it serves as a tool to contribute towards food safety in your supply-base.

  • Contributing to the SDGs

    Delivering impact also means contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this purpose, Foundation FSSC joined the UN Global Compact in 2021. Due to their relation to food safety and social sustainability, the following SDGs are of particular interest to the Foundation:

    SDG 1 No poverty, SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 3 Good Health and Well Being, SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13 Climate Action, and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

     

  • Support for our Partners

    Achieving impact means working closely with our partners, meeting our stakeholders’ expectations, and taking external drivers into account. This serves as motivation for continuous improvement of our Schemes and a dedicated support system. MyFSSC is our database created to assist our licensed partners with speed and accuracy across any scheme related topic.