IMPORTANT UPDATE: POSITION IN RELATION TO NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC
Important update 26 March 2020:
The Foundation is in ongoing consultation with our internal and external stakeholders to ensure a consistent approach throughout the certification community on how to best deal with the current Coronavirus pandemic. As a result of the recently updated statement from the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), we had to align our COVID-19 position paper for Certification Bodies (CBs). We fully support a global, harmonized approach across the food industry and we will continue our collaboration with stakeholders in an effort to find suitable and sustainable solutions in these extraordinary circumstances. Our main objective is to maintain the integrity of the Scheme and to ensure the production of safe food for all.
In line with GFSI, the maintenance and validity extension of existing FSSC 22000 certificates is allowed for certified organizations affected by the Coronavirus based on a detailed risk assessment to be conducted by the CBs. More details are provided in the newly published position paper for CBs on how to apply the exception. We trust that this will provide some interim relief for the certified organizations and assist in keeping food supply chain safe and functional.