FSSC 22000 has confirmed that, in specific circumstances, certification bodies such as LRQA can now conduct part of the audit remotely during the sixth-month postponement allowed for surveillance audits and certificate renewals, as long as the remainder of the audit is conducted onsite within 90 calendar days.
Specific circumstances include certification bodies being unable to conduct onsite audits due to COVID-19 restrictions put in place by governments, travel authorities, the company being audited or the company conducting the audit. A risk assessment is mandatory prior to each audit, regardless of the visit type, in order to evidence and support a decision to postpone the audit and extend the validity of the certificate.
The transition audit to FSSC version 5 still needs to be fully completed before 31 December 2020.
Learn more about FSSC 22000 audits.