FSSC 22000 Providing Strong Alternative for Food Packaging

By Leah Roberts 

The announcement that FSSC 22000 has recently awarded its 10,000^th certificate marks a milestone in the organization’s five-year history: it now boasts more than 100 licensed certification bodies around the world and there is an increasing demand for its stamp of certification throughout the global food supply chain. 

At the same time, many food producers have become increasingly focused on using packaging suppliers that comply with global standards and who are also implementing a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program to fulfill certification requirements and gain access to large retailers.

FSSC 22000 has issued 1200 certificates to food packaging manufacturers since the organization added a new scope for the production of food packaging materials, making it a fast-growing GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) benchmarked food safety certification scheme. FSSC 22000 is a Food Safety Management System Certification scheme based on ISO 22000 international standards and ISO TS 22002-4 for packaging (previously PAS 223). In 2013, the ISO TS 22002-4 document was added to provide the requirements for Prerequisite Programs that apply directly to the food packaging industry.  The scheme is owned by the Foundation for Food Safety Certification who, as a nonprofit organization facilitates and owns the scheme and manages its copyright with license agreements. The actual responsibility and authority for the content of the scheme and the delivered certification audits is the Board of Stakeholders, represented by the relevant stakeholders of the food supply chain.