GFSI Recognised Standards 2026: What Benchmarking V2024 Changes

What are GFSI’s version 2024 benchmarking requirements?

They are the document against which GFSI compares certification programmes before recognising them. Version 2024 replaces version 2020.1. It is not a standard: according to GFSI, no business can be audited or certified against these requirements.

GFSI announced their publication on 20 December 2024. Preparation had started in October 2022; a public consultation, from July to September 2024, gathered more than 2,500 comments. Version 2024 is aligned with the Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene and with ISO 22003. The Key Changes document describes it in four parts: the benchmarking process (I), programme governance (II), the content of the standards (III) and the glossary (IV).

An implementation guide accompanied the publication. Technical Advisory Note GFSI-TAN-001 of 10 November 2025 put it on hold pending a revised version, and recalls that the requirements themselves remain the only reference.

What is the transition timeline?

The transition has taken longer than planned: the deadline for programmes already recognised was pushed back from September 2025 to May 2026.

The announcement of 26 November 2025 attributes the six-month extension to the Steering Committee, alongside governance reforms. The benchmarking page sets out seven steps, from application to the final decision: application, desktop review, office visit assessment, corrective action plan, public stakeholder consultation, completion of corrective actions, then GFSI’s final decision and announcement.

The same page places each programme owner in these seven steps: A, application; B, desktop review; C, office visit assessment; D, corrective action plan; E, public stakeholder consultation; F, completion of corrective actions; G, final decision and announcement.

These pages give no end date for recognition against version 2020.

Which programmes are recognised, and which are being benchmarked?

Twelve programme owners are recognised. On 5 November 2026, two are recognised against version 2024; the others are recognised against version 2020 and have submitted their new versions. The table follows the page of recognised programmes and the page of programmes undergoing benchmarking.

BRCGS START! appears on neither page. For FSSC 22000, the Foundation’s FAQ confirms that Version 7 is being benchmarked.

What does version 2024 change on the ground?

GFSI does not audit sites: its requirements reach factories through the standards that align with them. The Key Changes document sorts the changes into new elements and strengthened elements. For a site, those in Part III are the most visible.

On the certification side, Part II tightens oversight of certification bodies. The programme owner must arrange additional audits when the integrity of a certification is in doubt. The audit report belongs to the site, which decides who sees it. Auditors must show at least two years of full-time work in food safety roles; the November 2025 note specifies that an “equivalent” degree or training is accepted. Finally, multi-site certification by sampling is limited to six scopes: farming of animals (AI), aquaculture (AII), farming of plants (BI), grains and pulses (BII), pre-process handling of plant products (BIII), storage and distribution (G), with at least 25% of sites drawn at random.

At BRCGS, position statement F926 version 4, applicable since 10 August 2026, already aligns Issue 9 with version 2024: see our article on BRCGS unannounced and blended audit rules. The FSSC Foundation cites this alignment among the reasons for Version 7, covered in FSSC 22000 Version 7: what changes and the transition timeline.

What should you do with your certificate during the transition?

Nothing urgent. According to GFSI, recognised programmes remain recognised during the transition. What matters is the version you will be audited against and what your buyer accepts.

• BRCGS Packaging Materials: Issue 7 has been audited since April 2025, but GFSI still lists Issue 6; Issue 7 is undergoing benchmarking with the other BRCGS standards, at the office visit assessment step.
• FSSC 22000: v6 audits possible until 30 April 2027, then v7 upgrade audits until 30 April 2028, while v7 is still undergoing benchmarking.
• SQF: Edition 10 audits expected from January 2027, subject to benchmarking.
• IFS Logistics, Broker, PACsecure: GFSI lists versions earlier than the ones IFS audits today.

Monitoring checklist for your quality manager:

• The standard, version and audit programme of each certificate are kept in an up-to-date register.
  
• Each buyer has confirmed in writing that it accepts the version audited, even before GFSI recognition.
  
• GFSI’s page of recognised programmes is checked before each audit and each tender.
  
• The food safety culture plan covers communication, training, employee feedback and performance measurement.
  
• The change management procedure covers temporary and emergency changes.
  

To compare the standards themselves, see our BRCGS vs IFS vs FSSC 22000 comparison and our page GFSI standards compared.