FSSC 22000 Version 7 Additional Requirements: A Practical Map

InsightsFSSC 22000 V72026

A practical map of the FSSC 22000 Version 7 additional requirements and what each one means for a food manufacturing site

Key takeaways

• For food manufacturing, FSSC 22000 Version 7 certification is built on three layers: ISO 22000:2018, sector prerequisite programmes (ISO 22002-100:2025 with ISO 22002-1:2025), and the FSSC additional requirements.
• The additional requirements (section 2.5 of Part 2) cover 18 topics, from purchased services to food loss and waste.
• Several topics are now expected to be fully documented and reviewed at least annually: food defence, food fraud, allergens, environmental monitoring and culture.
• Quality control is part of the scheme: quality parameters, quantity control and line start-up checks.
• Upgrade audits to Version 7 take place between 1 May 2027 and 30 April 2028.

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1. The three layers of certification

Layer	Content	What it gives
ISO 22000:2018	Food safety management system and hazard control plan (CCPs and OPRPs)	Management system structure and HACCP logic
ISO 22002-100:2025 + sector part (e.g. ISO 22002-1:2025)	Prerequisite programmes for the sector	Detailed hygiene, infrastructure and operational controls
FSSC 22000 V7 additional requirements	Scheme-specific requirements in section 2.5	Topics GFSI expects and the scheme owner has added

The 2025 revision of the ISO 22002 series renumbered PRP clauses, so sites should update cross-reference tables and not rely on old clause numbers.

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2. The additional requirements at a glance

Ref	Topic	Key expectations
2.5.1	Services and purchased materials	Competent, accredited laboratories for food-safety-critical analysis; emergency procurement procedure; specification review
2.5.2	Labelling and printed materials	Labels comply with the law of the country of sale; claims substantiated and validated; artwork approval and print control
2.5.3	Food defence	Threat assessment and food defence plan by a competent team, reviewed annually
2.5.4	Food fraud mitigation	Vulnerability assessment and mitigation plan covering materials, packaging and outsourced processes, reviewed annually
2.5.5	Use of the logo	Logo on marketing material only, never on product or packaging
2.5.6	Allergen management	Allergen plan, cross-contact risk assessment, validation and verification, justified precautionary labelling, annual review
2.5.7	Environmental monitoring	Risk-based programme for pathogens, spoilage and indicator organisms, zoning, trends, annual review (relevant categories)
2.5.8	Food safety and quality culture	Senior management objectives and a culture plan with targets and timelines
2.5.9	Quality control	Quality parameters, quantity control, line start-up and change-over checks
2.5.10	Transport, storage and warehousing	Stock rotation and shelf-life control; tanker cleaning where relevant
2.5.11	Hazard control and cross-contamination	Foreign body detection risk assessment and testing; breakage control for glass, brittle plastic, ceramics and wood
2.5.12	PRP verification	Routine documented site inspections
2.5.13	Product design and development	Procedure for new products and changes, including shelf-life trials and cooking instruction validation
2.5.14	Traceability of carcass parts	Applies to category C0
2.5.15	Equipment management	Purchase specifications for hygienic design; risk-based change management for equipment
2.5.16	Food loss and waste	Policy and objectives; control of donations and by-products for feed
2.5.17	Communication with the certification body	Notification within 3 working days of serious events
2.5.18	Multi-site	Only for certain categories with a central function

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3. Topics that change daily operations most

3.1 Quality control (2.5.9)

FSSC 22000 is not only about safety. Sites must define quality parameters for finished products, analyse quality control results as a management review input, include quality in internal audits, control quantity (weight, volume, count) and perform line start-up and change-over checks covering product, packaging, labels, codes and removal of the previous product.

3.2 Equipment management (2.5.15)

New or modified equipment needs a purchase specification addressing hygienic design, legal and customer requirements and materials, and a risk-based change process with commissioning evidence. This is a common gap: equipment is often bought by engineering without food safety input.

3.3 Product design and development (2.5.13)

A documented procedure must cover the effect of new products and changes on process flow, resources, equipment, shelf life and, for ready-to-cook products, validation of cooking instructions.

3.4 Food loss and waste (2.5.16)

A policy and objectives are needed, and products donated or sent for animal feed must be controlled so they do not create food safety or legal issues.

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4. How to plan the upgrade

1. Gap assessment against each additional requirement, with evidence, status and owner.
2. Update the PRP cross-reference to ISO 22002-100:2025 and the sector part.
3. Assign owners for each plan that needs annual review: food defence, food fraud, allergens, environmental monitoring, culture.
4. Train internal auditors on Version 7 and audit every additional requirement before the upgrade audit.
5. Agree the audit date with the certification body early, within the 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2028 window.

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5. Common gaps auditors are likely to find

• Laboratories used for food-safety-critical tests without evidence of accreditation or equivalent competence.
• Precautionary allergen labels without a documented risk assessment.
• Environmental monitoring without trend analysis.
• A culture plan with no targets or timelines.
• Equipment purchased without hygienic design review.
• No documented emergency procurement procedure.

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Conclusion

The FSSC 22000 Version 7 additional requirements turn several good practices into explicit, auditable expectations. Sites that map each requirement to an owner, a procedure and evidence, and start early, will find the upgrade audit a confirmation rather than a surprise.

List the 18 additional requirements on one page and mark your status today: compliant, partly compliant or not compliant.

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