On 19 April 2024, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and Foundation FSSC (FSSC) signed an updated Scheme Endorsement Agreement to recognize the FSSC 24000 certification scheme under the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA). This updated agreement adds FSSC 24000 to FSSC 22000 as an IAF-recognized scheme.

FSSC 24000 is a social management system scheme designed to help organizations in the consumer goods industry meet social performance requirements. Accredited certification to FSSC 24000 can provide assurance that organizations are fulfilling their social objectives, including providing their workers with a safe working environment, performing due diligence when managing their supply chains, and upholding their work and business ethics.

Under the Agreement, FSSC 24000 will be recognized by IAF as an IAF MLA sub-scope under the main scope of Management System Certification. This recognition will ensure mutual recognition of accredited certification for the scheme by IAF MLA signatories, allowing for the acceptance of accredited certificates in many markets based on one accreditation.

‘The approval of FSSC 24000 as an IAF MLA sub-scope is a milestone in IAF’s commitment to global sustainability and responsible business practices,’ said IAF Chair Emanuele Riva. ‘We look forward to working with FSSC to promote social responsibility worldwide.’

‘We are extremely proud and delighted that we have been successful in achieving the first ISO management system-based Scheme for auditing and certifying working conditions, named FSSC 24000, approved as an IAF MLA sub-scope next to our food safety management system Scheme FSSC 22000 which has obtained approval earlier in 2021,’ said Aldin Hilbrands, who is the Chief Executive Officer with FSSC. ‘It is great to work with IAF and its members to promote the new FSSC 24000 Scheme addressing social inequality in a collective effort to make the world a better place’.

The current scopes of the IAF MLA can be viewed here. To explore IAF’s partnership with FSSC you can visit the Partner Organizations page on the IAF website.

About IAF:

The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is a global association of accreditation bodies, conformity assessment body associations and other organizations involved in conformity assessment in fields including validation and verification and the certification of management systems, products, processes, services, and persons.

IAF promotes the worldwide acceptance of certificates of conformity and validation/verification statements issued by conformity assessment bodies accredited by IAF MLA signatories and seeks to add value for all stakeholders through its activities and programs.

About FSSC:

Foundation FSSC (FSSC) is a global non-profit and independent Scheme owner based in the Netherlands. The FSSC vision is to contribute to creating a better world through ISO Management System-aligned certification schemes for the consumer goods industry and its related supply chain. FSSC’s mission is to provide trust and deliver impact with its Schemes supporting certified organizations to help implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.