GFSI Benchmarking 2024 in practice: why is FSSC 22000, along with other food safety standards, changing at the same time?

On 1 May 2026, the FSSC Foundation published version 7 of the FSSC 22000 standard – one of the world’s most widely recognised food safety management system certifications, recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). However, this is not an isolated case. At the same time, other recognised industry standards – stemming from the same source – are also introducing or announcing similar updates. For certified companies within the food supply chain, this means one thing: 2026 is the time to understand what exactly lies behind this wave of changes and how to prepare for it – regardless of which standard currently applies at a given facility.

What is actually driving these changes? GFSI Benchmarking Requirements 2024

The Global Food Safety Initiative is not a standalone standard that companies implement directly. It is an organisation that sets benchmarking requirements – a set of criteria that a given certification scheme (e.g. FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS) must meet in order for its certificate to be recognised as equivalent by retail chains and corporations worldwide. When the GFSI updates its benchmarking requirements – as happened in 2024 – every scheme recognised by it must align its own requirements within a specified timeframe to retain the status of a globally recognised certificate.

This explains why several seemingly independent standards update their requirements almost simultaneously. It is neither a coincidence nor a result of competition between certification bodies – it is the result of a single common denominator to which they must all conform.

FSSC 22000 v7 as an example – the three pillars of change

Version 7 of the FSSC 22000 standard clearly illustrates the mechanism behind this alignment. The publication of the new version stems from three interrelated factors:

• the restructuring of the ISO 22002-x series of technical standards, which form the foundation of the Preliminary Programmes (PRPs) within the FSSC system – the previous ISO/TS 22002-x series has been replaced by a new normative structure,
• the need for full alignment with the GFSI 2024 benchmarking requirements, including, amongst other things, heightened expectations regarding food safety culture and management commitment,
• the growing role of sustainability as an integral part of the food safety management system, rather than merely an additional corporate statement.

As part of the same package of changes, the requirements concerning food defence and the prevention of food fraud have also been strengthened – areas which GFSI 2024 treats as priorities in every scheme it recognises. We have provided a full, detailed overview of the changes introduced in FSSC 22000 v7 – including the transition timetable for companies that are already certified – in a separate article dedicated to version 7 of the standard.

This is not an isolated phenomenon

Companies which, in addition to FSSC 22000, hold or are considering certification to other GFSI-recognised standards should be aware that the 2024 benchmarking alignment mechanism applies to the entire industry, not just a single scheme. This is clearly illustrated by the BRCGS standards, which in 2026 will also introduce updates resulting directly from the same benchmarking process – covering, amongst other things, staff competence requirements, hygiene procedures and rules on protection against product tampering.

For organisations facing a choice of standard or holding more than one certificate simultaneously, this offers a practical guideline: the decision on which system to choose – such as FSSC 22000, BRCGS or IFS – should today take into account not only current requirements but also the pace at which individual organisations respond to GFSI benchmarking changes. We have described the differences between these schemes – geographical scope, assessment method, approach to critical requirements – in more detail in the article ‘IFS or BRC in the food industry – which standard to choose?’, whilst a full overview of the IFS family of standards can be found in the guide to food quality and safety certification.

What does this mean for companies holding several certificates at the same time?

Manufacturers working with international retail chains are increasingly holding more than one food safety certificate – as this is required by the diversity of their markets and the expectations of individual customers. In practice, the wave of benchmarking changes in 2024 has several specific consequences for such companies:

1. The transition schedules are not synchronised. FSSC 22000 v7 has its own transition period, whilst BRCGS has its own timetable for the updates to come into force. A company with dual certification must track both deadlines separately.
2. Some requirements overlap, but are not identical. Enhanced expectations regarding food defence, food fraud and food safety culture feature in both schemes; however, the methods for documenting and verifying them differ in detail between the schemes.
3. A single update to documentation can cover more than one standard if planned carefully. Companies that treat these changes as an opportunity to streamline their entire food safety management system – rather than merely ‘patching up’ specific areas for a single audit – save time with each subsequent update.

How can you prepare for the changes resulting from the GFSI Benchmarking 2024?

Regardless of which standard applies to your facility, it is worth starting with the same steps:

• identify which of your existing or planned certificates are subject to the current wave of adjustments to GFSI 2024,
• check the exact dates on which the new requirements come into force and the length of the transition period for each standard,
• carry out a gap assessment covering common areas – prerequisite programmes, food defence, food fraud, food safety culture and sustainability,
• plan the update of documentation and training in a way that takes into account the requirements of all held standards simultaneously, rather than in isolation from one another.

Companies that are only just planning to implement FSSC 22000 or need support in transitioning to version 7 can seek assistance with implementing the FSSC 22000 system– from analysing gaps in documentation, through updating PRP procedures, to preparing for the certification audit.

The publication of FSSC 22000 v7 on 1 May 2026 is not a one-off event, but part of a wider process of aligning global food safety standards with the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements 2024. Understanding this mechanism enables certified companies – particularly those maintaining more than one system – to plan upcoming audits more effectively and avoid a situation where every standard update is treated as a separate, independent project.