08 January 2021
Further to the communication of the 17th December 2020, this Technical Bulletin clarifies the updated UKAS approach to the assessment for the implementation of changes introduced for FSSC 22000 V 5.1 in line with the approach detailed in FSSC 22000 Requirements V5.1 upgrade process dated December 2020.
Existing Accredited Certification Bodies Offering FSSC 22000 V5
Accredited Certification Bodies offering FSSC 22000 certification need to submit, as a minimum, a self-declaration containing documentation detailed in Clause 2.2.2 of the FSSC 22000 Requirements V5.1 upgrade process dated December 2020, to their Assessment Manager by 26th February 2021 to enable a review to be completed.
As FSSC 22000 V5.1 is a sub-version change and not a full version change, accredited Certification Bodies are not required to extend their current accreditation scope from Version 5. Once individual reviews have been satisfactorily completed confirmation will be conveyed by letter to the respective accredited Certification Body.
Where an accredited Certification Bodies offering FSSC 22000 certification has not submitted a self-declaration and supporting self-assessment before the deadline of 1st March 2021 or when the review identifies any issues preventing the accredited Certification Body to audit to Version 5.1 as of 1 April 2021, UKAS will advise the FSSC Foundation as required by FSSC 22000 Requirements V5.1 upgrade process Clause 3 and their accreditation for the scheme may be at risk.
Full implementation of the changes will then be assessed at the next planned head office visit/assessment of the individual certification body. Subject to satisfactory completion of this assessment the accreditation schedule will be updated accordingly.
New Certification Bodies seeking accreditation in 2021
In the case where a new CB starts the accreditation process in 2021 and the UKAS witnessed audit is conducted before 31st March 2021, the witnessed audit shall be conducted against Version 5. In these cases, the CB shall also be able to demonstrate compliance to the AB on the V5.1 requirement (through document review), but an additional witness audit to V5.1 is not required. Where the witness audit is conducted from 1 April onwards, the witness audit shall be against V5.1.
The present technical bulletin replaces the invitation for application letter sent to all Certification Bodies involved in FSSC 22000 scheme certification on the 17th December 2020.
Should you require any clarification on the above, please contact one of the following:
• Your Assessment Manager
• Marta Vaquero: Accreditation Specialist – Food & Farm Certification
• Kevin Belson: Technical Manager
You can download a pdf version of this Technical Bulletin here.