ANAB is pleased to offer a new accreditation program for the social responsibility scheme FSSC 24000, covering labor relationships, human rights, health and safety, and work and business ethics. FSSC is owned by the Foundation FSSC, the same entity that owns the globally recognized food safety scheme (FSSC 22000).
What is FSSC 24000?
FSSC 24000 was developed through extensive and open consultation with global stakeholders. The requirements of the scheme incorporate the internationally recognized, independent standard PAS 24000: Specification for Social Management Systems that includes requirements for social performance.
The Scheme can be applied in the manufacturing and processing sector (food and non-food), including their related service provision across the consumer goods industry and their associated supply base.
Why was the FSSC 24000 Scheme Developed?
As per scheme documents, the main factors that initiated the development of the FSSC 24000 Scheme were:
- The need for an ISO-based Social Management System using the harmonized structure approach
- The need for a process approach that incorporates the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and risk-based thinking to facilitate continuous improvement
- The expectations for credible social sustainability certification Schemes as defined by the industry members of the Consumer Goods Forum laid down in the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) benchmarking requirements.
The Foundation FSSC is the only scheme owner in the industry currently offering a certification scheme for social responsibility that is based on management systems, mandating accreditation to ISO/IEC 17021-1 Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 1: Requirements.
Who Needs FSSC 24000 Accreditation?
Any certification body (CB) may benefit from having this program in its portfolio. However, this program may be of a special interest to CBs that work closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and have customers that use certification to manage their supply chain.
FSSC 24000 will be a base standard within ANAB management systems accreditation programs. The program will be based on ISO/IEC 17021-1, with scheme specific requirements, as well as relevant ANAB Accreditation Rules. A discounted pre-launch application rate is available for CBs that commit to payment by Jan 31, 2023. You can see more details here: Pre-launch Announcement of Accreditation Program for FSSC 24000.
Contact Natalia Larrimer at nlarrimer@anab.org for more information.
