FSSC 22000 version 6 is still the version every FSSC 22000 audit uses today, but the Foundation FSSC published version 7 on 1 May 2026. Version 6 audits are allowed until 30 April 2027, and upgrade audits to version 7 run from 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2028.
This guide is for food safety and quality managers at certified sites, and at sites planning a first FSSC 22000 audit, who need to know what version 6 requires and what changes with version 7.
What is FSSC 22000 version 6 and what does it require?
FSSC 22000 is a certification scheme for food safety management systems, owned by the Foundation FSSC in the Netherlands. It has been benchmarked and recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) since February 2010. Version 6 was published on 31 March 2023, and the first version 6 audits took place from 1 April 2024.
A site is audited against three parts that work together:
- ISO 22000:2018, the food safety management system standard, including its amendments.
- The prerequisite programme (PRP) document for its sector. Under version 6 these are ISO/TS 22002 technical specifications, such as ISO/TS 22002-1:2009 for food manufacturing, or BSI PAS 221:2013 for retail.
- The FSSC 22000 additional requirements in Part 2, section 2.5 of the scheme.
The additional requirements run from 2.5.1 to 2.5.18. They cover services and purchased materials, labelling, food defence, food fraud mitigation, logo use, allergens, environmental monitoring, and food safety and quality culture. They also cover quality control, transport and storage, cross-contamination, PRP verification, product design, equipment management, food loss and waste, communication with the certification body, and multi-site rules.
Auditors give the additional requirements as much attention as the ISO 22000 clauses. Our guide to ISO 22000:2018 and its 2024 amendment covers the base standard.
What changed in FSSC 22000 version 7?
The Foundation gives five reasons for version 7. These are the new ISO 22002 series of PRP standards, alignment with the GFSI benchmarking requirements 2024, stronger support for the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a more detailed category structure and editorial changes. The base standard does not change. Version 7 still uses ISO 22000:2018.
The table compares the two versions where the requirements for a certified site differ. It is based on AGS's reading of both scheme documents, not the Foundation's wording.
| Area | Version 6 (April 2023) | Version 7 (May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite programmes | ISO/TS 22002 series and BSI PAS 221, one document per sector | ISO 22002-100:2025 for common PRPs, plus a 2025 sector part such as ISO 22002-1:2025 for manufacturing |
| PRP verification (2.5.12) | Routine site inspections for categories BIII, C, D, G, I and K | Extended to catering (E) and retail and wholesale (FI) |
| Product design and development (2.5.13) | Production and shelf-life trials for all categories in scope | Trials limited to BIII, C, D and K. New packaging design principles for organisations that design primary packaging |
| Clause 2.5.14 | Health status of staff in feed production (D) | Traceability of all edible carcass parts at slaughter (C0) |
| Food loss and waste (2.5.16) | Documented policy and objectives | Objectives must have measurable targets with set timelines |
| Categories | Subcategories aligned with ISO 22003-1:2022 | Adds sub-subcategories, such as CI-3 dairy, used to qualify auditors, not to define certificate scope |
| Certification body rules | No rules on artificial intelligence | Rules for certification bodies that use AI, a new audit duration calculation and requalification of auditors |
The AI rules apply to certification bodies, not to certified sites. A body that uses AI in certification needs a governance framework, a risk assessment for each AI system and validation before use. AI may support auditors but may not replace human certification decisions.
When do version 6 audits stop and upgrade audits start?
The dates come from the Foundation's Version 7 upgrade process, dated 1 May 2026. Until 30 April 2027, every FSSC 22000 audit is a version 6 audit. No site can be audited to version 7 before 1 May 2027.
From 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2028, each certified site has an upgrade audit. It is the site's next audit due in that window, whether surveillance or recertification. The upgrade audit is a full audit against version 7. One audit cannot mix versions, so both the remote and on-site parts of a split audit must be to version 7.
After a successful upgrade at a surveillance audit, the new certificate keeps the expiry date of the version 6 certificate. Certification bodies must upload upgrade results by 30 June 2028. Any version 6 certificate still left after that date is set to withdrawn and disappears from the public register.
What should a version 6 certified site do before its upgrade audit?
Keep running version 6 until your upgrade audit. That is what your auditor will check until 1 May 2027. Use the time before then to prepare in this order:
- Find your audit date. Work out which of your audits falls between 1 May 2027 and 30 April 2028. That one is your upgrade audit, and it may be unannounced if you are due one.
- Check your contract. The audit duration calculation has changed. Your certification body must issue a version 7 contract or an addendum, so expect a new audit time.
- Obtain the new PRP standards. Buy ISO 22002-100:2025 and the 2025 part for your sector. Map your existing PRP programmes, cleaning schedules and inspection checklists to the new numbering.
- Close the clause gaps. Add measurable targets and deadlines to your food loss and waste objectives. Catering and retail sites should plan documented, risk-based PRP inspections, such as monthly checks. Slaughter sites need carcass traceability, and packaging designers need the new design principles in their development procedure.
- Review food safety and quality culture, allergen and environmental monitoring records. These sections carry over, so your existing records remain the starting point.
Your certification body should already have written to you. The upgrade rules required certification bodies to inform their certified organisations within three months of the scheme's publication.
What if you are seeking FSSC 22000 certification for the first time?
A first audit before 1 May 2027 is to version 6. From that date, both stages are to version 7. The upgrade rules also allow a stage 1 audit to version 6 before 1 May 2027 with a stage 2 to version 7 on or after that date. The scheme limits the gap between stage 1 and stage 2 to six months.
So the timing of your stage 2 decides which version you build to. A site aiming for stage 2 in late 2026 or early 2027 builds to version 6, then upgrades at its first audit in the upgrade window. A site aiming for stage 2 after May 2027 should build to version 7 from the start. If your customers accept other food safety schemes, compare BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 or IFS Food version 8 before you commit.
How AGS can help
The FSSC-22000 v6 Management System is built on FSSC 22000 version 6 and does not cover the version 7 changes. It contains 69 documents: a food safety and quality manual, a scheme reference and 24 procedures, including food defence, food fraud and environmental monitoring. There are also 28 forms and records, 5 checklists, 4 guidance notes, 2 training documents, a job description and 3 registers. Files are editable Microsoft Word, with a version 6 compliance matrix in Excel.
Frequently asked questions
Is a version 6 certificate still valid after 30 April 2027?
Yes, until your upgrade audit. Version 6 audits stop on 30 April 2027, but the certificate stays valid until it is upgraded in the window. Version 6 certificates not upgraded are withdrawn after 30 June 2028.
Does version 7 change the ISO 22000 requirements?
No. Version 7 still uses ISO 22000:2018, including amendments such as the 2024 climate action amendment. The changes are in the PRP standards and the FSSC additional requirements.
Which PRP standards apply to a version 6 audit now?
The ISO/TS 22002 series and PAS documents listed in version 6. The Foundation confirms that version 6 continues to use them until it ends. The FSSC version 7 FAQ explains how ISO 22002-100 relates to the sector parts.
Does buying documentation mean the site will be certified?
No. Documents are a starting point. Certification depends on how the system runs and on the certification body's audit findings.
AGS provides independent documentation toolkits. This guide and the referenced documents are prepared to support FSSC 22000 requirements. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by the Foundation FSSC or any certification body, and they do not guarantee any certification outcome.
Reviewed October 2026. Facts checked against the sources current at publication.
