Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000 is a robust Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognized food safety certification scheme based on ISO 22000 that is applicable across the food chain (i.e., food/feed manufacturing, packaging production, transport, and storage). As a certification scheme, FSSC 22000 is unique in that it comprises three separate elements:

• ISO 22000 International Standard – Specifies requirements for a food safety management system (FSMS) in alignment with the ISO Harmonized Structure.
• ISO/Sector-Specific Technical Specifications (TS) 22002 – Requires organizations to establish Prerequisite Programs (PRPs) for specific sectors.
• FSSC 22000 Scheme Additional Requirements – Provides comprehensive additional requirements that build on ISO 22000 and sector-specific PRPs.

With recent updates to the FSSC 22000 Scheme (i.e., Version 7) and ISO/TS 22002, as well as planned updates (2027) to the ISO 22000 Standard, there is a lot of confusion surrounding applicable requirements, how they are related, and compliance timelines. KTL’s Q&A with our food safety experts helps clarify some of the commonly asked questions regarding ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000.

How do ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 work together?

ISO 22000 is an internationally recognized FSMS standard for any organization in the food chain, regardless of size or role. It combines management system practices, risk-based thinking, PRPs, interactive communication, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles to help organizations identify, prevent, control, and continually improve how they manage food safety hazards.

FSSC 22000 is a food safety certification scheme built on ISO 22000. It includes ISO 22000, applicable sector-specific PRP standards (ISO/TS 22002), and FSSC 22000 Additional Requirements. The scheme is managed by Foundation FSSC and is benchmarked by GFSI, which is why many global brands, retailers, manufacturers, and buyers recognize or require it.

ISO 22000 provides the core FSMS framework and can stand on its own. In turn, FSSC 22000 uses that framework as its foundation and adds a more prescriptive certification structure. In practical terms, a company with a well-implemented ISO 22000 system has already built much of the foundation needed for FSSC 22000, but it must still address the applicable PRP standard, FSSC Additional Requirements, scheme rules, audit expectations, and certification body requirements.

What is the main difference between ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000?

ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 are closely connected, but they are not interchangeable. The main differences between the standards are related to certification scope and market recognition. ISO 22000 defines what an organization must do to control food safety hazards across the food chain. FSSC 22000 builds on ISO 22000 by adding sector-specific PRP requirements, FSSC Additional Requirements, scheme rules, and GFSI-recognized certification used to satisfy major customer, retailer, and procurement expectations. This includes additional requirements for areas such as food defense, food fraud mitigation, allergen management, environmental monitoring, equipment management, and food safety and quality culture.

What does my facility need to do to comply with the three elements of FSSC 22000?

To comply with FSSC 22000, a facility must implement all three elements (i.e., ISO 22000, ISO/TS 220002, FSSC 22000 Additional Requirements) as one integrated FSMS, not as separate documents or checklists, as follows:

1. ISO 22000: Define the FSMS scope; assign leadership responsibilities; identify internal and external risks; establish food safety objectives; complete hazard analysis; define PRPs, operational prerequisite programs (OPRPs), and critical control points (CCPs); control monitoring and corrective actions; maintain traceability and recall processes; conduct internal audits; complete management review; and drive continual improvement.
2. ISO/TS 22002: Identify and implement applicable sector-specific PRP requirements from the ISO 22002 series; translate the relevant TS into site controls for areas such as zoning, facility design, equipment, cleaning and sanitation, pest management, utilities, personnel hygiene, storage, transport, waste handling, maintenance, supplier controls, and prevention of cross-contamination; verify that these PRPs are effective, current, and supported by records, not just written into procedures.
3. FSSC 22000 Scheme Additional Requirements: Meet applicable requirements for purchased services and materials, product labeling, food defense, food fraud mitigation, allergen management, environmental monitoring, equipment management, food safety and quality culture, quality control, transport and delivery, and any other requirements that apply to the facility’s food chain category and certification scope.

A documented gap assessment against ISO 22000, the applicable ISO/TS 22002 PRP standard, and the FSSC 22000 requirements is a practical place to start. Facilities can then work to convert the gaps into an implementation plan with assigned responsibilities, training, verification activities, internal audit checks, and management review follow-up to ensure effective implementation.

What are the recent changes to the ISO/TS 22002 PRPs?

The ISO/TS 22002 series was modernized in 2025. The new structure introduces ISO 22002-100 as a common baseline for food, feed, and packaging supply chains, supported by sector-specific parts to create a more consistent PRP framework and help simplify implementation for organizations operating across multiple sectors. Sector-specific categories are defined as follows:

• ISO/TS 22002-1: Food Manufacturing
• ISO/TS 22002-2: Catering
• ISO/TS 22002-3: Farming
• ISO 220002-4: Food Packaging
• ISO/TS 22002-5: Transport and Storage
• ISO/TS 22002-6: Feed and Animal Food Production
• ISO/TS 22002-7: Retail and Wholesale Operations
• ISO/TS 22002-100: Common/General Requirements 

With this change, every certified facility must now comply with ISO/TS 22002-100, which consolidates general, common requirements across the entire supply chain, while also implementing their sector-specific requirements. The ISO/TS 22002 updates also demand tighter focus related to hygienic design and zoning, material and chemical control, and allergen and environmental monitoring.

The release of the restructured ISO/TS 22002:2025 series serves as the primary driver behind the creation of FSSC 22000 Version 7 (V7). As such, the timeline for compliance with the ISO/TS 22002:2025 series is tied directly to the FSSC 22000 transition to V7. See below.

What is changing in FSSC 22000 V7?

In early May 2026, Foundation FSSC published V7 of the FSSC 22000 Scheme Additional Requirements. It aligns the scheme with the updated ISO/TS 22002:2025 PRP series and GFSI benchmarking requirements, updates food chain categories, strengthens select Additional Requirements, and introduces a new requirement related to sustainable packaging design principles for organizations involved in packaging design or packaging material changes. V7 also updates auditor qualification requirements and transition expectations.

FSSC has established a phased transition from V6 to V7. Audits against V6 are allowed only up to April 30, 2027. Updated audits against V7 are expected to take place from May 1, 2027 through April 30, 2028. Again, this includes the updated ISO/TS 22002:2025 requirements.

What changes are expected for ISO 22000 in 2027?

ISO 22000:2018 remains the current certifiable edition, but a revised ISO 22000 standard is anticipated in 2027. The revision is expected to strengthen food defense, food fraud, and food safety culture; clarify the relationship between CCPs, OPRPs, and PRPs; and support alignment with the updated ISO/TS 22002 PRP series.

Should I wait for ISO 22000:2027 before pursuing certification?

No. Companies should continue to implement, maintain, and improve their systems against the currently applicable requirements. Waiting for the updated ISO 22000 standard may delay customer approvals, weaken audit readiness, and create a larger transition burden later. Organizations should focus on the changes associated with FSSC 22000 V7 and ISO/TS 22002 and strengthening core FSMS disciplines, including hazard analysis, PRP effectiveness, traceability, management review, internal auditing, corrective action, supplier approval, food defense, food fraud mitigation, and food safety culture.

What should I do now?

With ISO/TS 22002 and FSSC 22000 V7 now released and ISO 22000 expected to be revised in 2027, food companies should use the transition period to modernize PRPs, strengthen intentional risk controls, make food safety culture measurable, and prepare evidence that their food safety system works in practice:

• Map your current system against the applicable requirements. Conduct a clause-by-clause and process-by-process gap assessment. This should include ISO 22000, the relevant ISO/TS 22002 PRP standard, FSSC 22000 V7 Additional Requirements. Identify gaps that need to be addressed to meet the updated requirements.
• Plan the FSSC 22000 V7 transition early. Build a transition plan based on the gap assessment that includes document updates, PRP revisions, personnel training, internal auditor training, supplier communication, validation or verification activities, internal audits, management review, and certification body scheduling.
• Update PRPs using the new ISO/TS 22002 structure. Review sanitation, zoning, personnel hygiene, utilities, pest control, maintenance, supplier controls, waste handling, storage, transport, and other PRP elements against the updated ISO 22002-100 baseline and the relevant sector-specific part. Multisite or multisector companies should coordinate shared PRPs while preserving site-specific controls.
• Strengthen intentional risk programs. Food defense and food fraud are becoming increasingly prominent in both FSSC 22000 and the expected ISO 22000 revision. Maintain documented threat and vulnerability assessments, define mitigation measures, verify controls, and review these programs when products, suppliers, materials, processes, or geopolitical risks change.
• Make food safety culture auditable. Food safety culture should be a lived organization value. Define leadership expectations, employee behaviors, communication methods, training needs, escalation practices, and measurable indicators. Use internal audits, management review, employee feedback, and corrective action trends to show that food safety responsibilities are understood and practiced throughout the organization.