FSSC 22000 Version 7 Consultant for Africa and the Middle East

What is FSSC 22000 Version 7?

It is the current version of the FSSC 22000 certification scheme, published by the Foundation FSSC in May 2026. It rests on three building blocks audited together: ISO 22000:2018, the ISO 22002-x:2025 prerequisite programmes (PRPs) for your sector, and the FSSC additional requirements in Part 2 of the scheme document.

The scheme itself gives five reasons for the revision: incorporating the new ISO 22002-x PRP series, aligning with the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements 2024, strengthening requirements that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, giving a clearer structure to food chain (sub)categories, and editorial improvements.

Two points matter for sites outside Europe. English is the only official and valid version of the scheme; translations are reading aids. And while FSSC 22000 has been recognised by the GFSI since February 2010, the Foundation’s FAQ states that Version 7 is still going through GFSI benchmarking. As of 5 November 2026, the GFSI page of recognised programmes still lists version 6, and version 7 appears on the page of programmes undergoing benchmarking against version 2024 of the GFSI requirements. If a buyer requires a GFSI-recognised certificate, ask it to confirm in writing that it accepts Version 7.

What changed between Version 6 and Version 7?

The most tangible change is the move to new PRP standards. The ISO 22000:2018 core is unchanged. The table below lists only changes confirmed in the Foundation’s own documents: Key Changes Explained, the FAQ and the Additional Requirements page.

The Foundation’s Changes Version 6 and Version 7 – Scheme document shows every new or changed passage in red. Among the section 2.5 changes: label printing (2.5.2 d) now applies to any site that prints; PRP verification (2.5.12) is extended to categories E and FI; a carcass traceability requirement is added for subcategory C0 (2.5.14); food loss and waste objectives (2.5.16) need measurable targets and deadlines.

What this means on the factory floor: a food manufacturer now applies ISO 22002-100:2025 together with ISO 22002-1:2025; a packaging-only manufacturer applies Part 100 with ISO 22002-4:2025, not ISO 22002-1. Renumbering old references proves nothing. You need to rebuild the PRP cross-reference table, clause by clause, and show the procedure or record that meets each one. Auditor qualification is also aligned with GFSI 2024 and finer subcategories, so expect auditors with deeper knowledge of your products and processes.

What is the v6 to v7 transition timetable?

The dates are set by the official Version 7 Upgrade Process document. Version 6 audits run until 30 April 2027, v7 upgrade audits from 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2028, and any remaining v6 certificates are withdrawn after 30 June 2028.

Four upgrade rules drive your planning:

1. No standalone upgrade audit. The upgrade happens at your next scheduled audit, surveillance or recertification, and it is a full v7 audit.
2. It may be unannounced. If your three-yearly unannounced audit falls in the window, you will not know the exact date. Your system must be on v7 from 1 May 2027.
3. New contract terms. The certification body recalculates audit duration under v7 rules and issues a new contract or an addendum. The Foundation sets no extra upgrade time, but the certification body may add some.
4. No mixed audits. For remote plus on-site audits (ICT approach), both parts are v7 from 1 May 2027.

For a site starting now, the rule is simple: if the initial audit takes place from 1 May 2027, Stage 1 and Stage 2 are both v7. A Stage 1 held before that date may still follow v6, but Stage 2 will be v7. Build on Version 7 from day one.

Who is FSSC 22000 for?

It suits food chain businesses that need a GFSI-recognised certificate built on an ISO management system standard. In our markets, that means exporters first: fish canneries in Agadir or Safi, fruit and vegetable packers in the Souss, packaging converters in Kenitra and Casablanca, cold stores serving Tanger Med, and ingredient makers selling to multinational food groups. The same logic applies to a cocoa or cashew processor in Côte d’Ivoire, or to a dairy or juice plant in Egypt supplying international brands.

FSSC 22000, BRCGS or IFS?

Start with your customers, then your organisation. All three are GFSI-recognised. The right one is the scheme your buyers accept in writing for your products and markets.

When customers accept all three, FSSC 22000 has one structural advantage: it follows the ISO management system architecture. A site that later targets ISO 9001:2026 or ISO 14001:2026 reuses the same context, leadership, risk, internal audit and management review processes. BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 and IFS Food Version 8 are audit standards built differently. Compare our BRCGS certification and IFS certification pages. Packaging manufacturers face a similar choice between FSSC 22000 category I and BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 7.

In Morocco, the ONSSA sanitary approval or authorisation remains the legal prerequisite for any certification project. In other countries, the equivalent national food safety registration plays the same role.

How does the FSSC 22000 certification cycle work?

A certificate runs on a three-year cycle: a two-stage initial audit, two annual surveillance audits, then recertification. Each surveillance is a full system audit, and no audit in the cycle may be skipped.

Findings come in three grades, and the scheme does not allow “opportunities for improvement”. A minor nonconformity needs a correction, root cause analysis and an action plan approved within 28 calendar days. A major must be closed within 28 days or the certificate is suspended; at an initial audit, Stage 2 is repeated. A critical nonconformity suspends the certificate within 3 working days and triggers a full on-site follow-up audit between six weeks and six months later; at an initial audit, the audit fails.

Audit duration follows a formula the certification body cannot reduce. At least half of the time is spent on operational control in the plant. If an interpreter is needed, duration rises by at least 20%, so choose an auditor who speaks the working language of the site.

Which additional requirements take the most work?

Those that test the organisation rather than the HACCP plan. On a typical gap analysis in an African export plant, five headings carry most of the findings.

• 2.5.1 Services and purchased materials. Analyses that verify or validate critical parameters, such as pesticide residues or microbiology, must be done by a competent laboratory, in line with the applicable ISO/IEC 17025 requirements.
• 2.5.2 Labelling. Products must meet the rules of the country of sale, allergens included, and any origin or production claim must be backed by traceability and mass balance.
• 2.5.7 Environmental monitoring. Mandatory for categories BIII, C, I and K: a risk-based programme with zoning, trend analysis and at least an annual review.
• 2.5.8 Food safety and quality culture. Objectives set by top management, a plan with targets and deadlines, results reported at management review.
• 2.5.17 Communication. The certification body must be told within 3 working days of serious events such as a public recall or regulatory action.

How do you get a site ready for a Version 7 audit?

Work back from the audit date and do each task once. This is the readiness checklist we use, for new projects and upgrades alike.

• Written list of schemes accepted by each customer.
  
• Valid national sanitary approval covering the whole scope (ONSSA in Morocco).
  
• FSSC category and number of HACCP studies confirmed.
  
• Audit date or window confirmed by the certification body, including the unannounced audit risk.
  
• v7 contract or addendum received, with recalculated audit duration.
  
• ISO 22002-100:2025 and the sector part purchased and built into the system.
  
• PRP cross-reference table complete, gaps closed or scheduled.
  
• Additional requirements 2.5.1 to 2.5.18 reviewed and applicability justified.
  
• Building works scheduled outside peak season.
  
• Food safety team and internal auditors trained on v7.
  
• Full v7 internal audit, management review and mock audit completed.
  

Training is usually the easiest cost to fund. For Moroccan companies, project training may fall under the OFPPT special training contracts, under specific rules and with no guaranteed amount: see our CSF and OFPPT funding page. Our FSSC 22000 v7, ISO 22000, HACCP and internal auditor courses run on site in French, Arabic or English. For mock audits and outsourced internal audits, see audits and inspections.

ACG works with food, packaging and logistics companies through its food safety consulting practice: 502 projects, 32 consultants and experts, more than 120,000 people trained and a 100% success rate on the certifications we support. To see where your site stands against Version 7, describe your project.