FSSC 22000 Version 4.1: A Short Update with Practical Consequences
Version 4.1 of FSSC 22000 was published in July 2017, a few months after Version 4. It adjusts the scheme to the latest GFSI benchmarking requirements and applies from January 2018.
Key points
- Version 4.1 was published in July 2017 and audits against it start in January 2018.
- The update keeps the scheme aligned with the GFSI benchmarking requirements.
- Sites preparing for Version 4 should work directly from the Version 4.1 documents.
Why another version so soon
GFSI updated its benchmarking requirements in 2017, and scheme owners had to follow in order to keep their recognition. Version 4.1 is the result: an amendment of Version 4, not a new scheme.
What sites should check
- The additional scheme requirements, including allergen management and environmental monitoring where they apply to your category
- The rules for unannounced audits
- Your food fraud vulnerability assessment and food defence threat assessment
- How nonconformities are graded and the deadlines for closing them
Practical advice
Download the current scheme documents from the scheme owner instead of relying on summaries, and ask your certification body which version your next audit will use. Internal audits in the second half of 2017 should already be planned against Version 4.1.