Keeping the whole FSMS up to date
Plain-language summary
Make sure the food-safety management system as a whole stays current - leadership ensures it evolves with the business and its risks.
What the clause is really asking
Beyond fixing individual problems, the system itself must be kept current. This clause requires that the FSMS is updated in light of relevant changes - to context, interested parties, hazards, processes, products and improvement activity - so it remains aligned with the organisation as it is now. It draws together communication, review and improvement to keep the system whole and live.
What auditors look for
Auditors check that updates to the system are considered systematically, evaluated and recorded, and that the food-safety team keeps the FSMS coherent rather than letting parts drift. They look for evidence that updating is a managed activity feeding management review, not an afterthought.
Typical evidence
FSMS update records; evaluation of changes affecting the system; food-safety team review of system currency; links to management review
How to comply — recommendations
Make updating the system a planned activity - the food-safety team should regularly evaluate whether changes in context, hazards, products or performance call for system changes, and record the outcome. Tie it to communication, internal information flow and management review so the whole picture stays current. Avoid letting individual document updates substitute for keeping the system coherent as a whole.
Common nonconformities
System updated piecemeal with no overall coherence; changes in context/hazards not evaluated for system impact; updating not linked to management review
Related clauses
ISO 22000 6.3, 8.6, 9.3, 10.2
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