Templates and records · FSSC 22000 · Clause 2.5.16

FSSC 22000 food loss and waste plan

FSSC 22000 requires a policy and objectives with measurable targets to reduce food loss and waste, without putting food safety at risk.

In one sentence

The FSSC 22000 food loss and waste plan sets out the organisation's policy and objectives for reducing them, how they are measured, and the controls ensuring that products donated or sent to feed or other uses remain safe and are handled in a controlled way, as the additional requirements in clause 2.5.16 of the scheme require.

Content reviewed on 17 October 2026

Where the standard requires it: FSSC 22000 · Clause 2.5.16 Clauses beginning with 2.5 are additional requirements in Part 2 of FSSC 22000 Version 7, numbered as in Version 6 for these eight records; those of ISO 22000:2018 are explained in their own templates.
Type of information: Mandatory document Documented policy and objectives (FSSC 22000 v7, 2.5.16)
Who fills it in: Senior management with the food safety team Production and logistics provide the data
When: Annual review of objectives Monthly or quarterly follow-up of the indicators
How long it is kept: Set by the organisation ISO 22000 requires documented information to be retained without setting a period. It is sensible to cover the shelf life of the product with a margin, the applicable law and the three-year certification cycle.

What the standard requires

What FSSC 22000 demands and what it leaves to your judgement

FSSC requires a documented policy and objectives detailing the organisation's strategy for reducing food loss and waste in its own operations and, as far as it can influence it, in the supply chain.

Products that are donated, sold as by-products or sent for animal feed must be handled with controls that ensure their safety and traceability, in compliance with applicable legislation.

The scheme does not set a figure to reach, but since Version 7 the objectives must be backed by clear, measurable targets with defined timelines.

Read it in context: Planning, in the FSSC 22000 Academy

Structure

Fields the template should include

Food loss and waste policy
Measurable objectives and deadline
Indicators and measurement method
Destinations: donation, by-product, feed, recovery
Food safety and traceability controls for each destination
Agreements with recipients
Follow-up and review

Example

Example: objectives at a fictitious bakery plant

Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.

Field	Content
Policy	Reduce waste without compromising food safety or legal compliance
2026 objective	Cut production waste from 4.2% to 3.5%
Indicator	Kg of waste per tonne produced, measured monthly
Donation	Same-day bread with the correct date to a food bank, with delivery note and batch
Feed	Trimmings to a registered feed manufacturer
Control	Nothing with an undeclared allergen or a foreign body is donated or sent for feed
Follow-up	September: 3.8% · on track for the objective

At the audit

Mistakes auditors commonly flag

A declaratory policy with no objectives or indicators.
Donations with no record of batch or recipient.
Product that is nonconforming on safety grounds being donated.
By-products sent for feed without checking that the recipient is registered.
Objectives that are never reviewed.

In Kimobox

How this record is kept in Kimobox

1Objectives are defined with indicators fed by real production data.
2Donations and by-product dispatches are recorded with their batch and recipient, like any other dispatch.
3The disposition of nonconforming product requires a recorded decision before it can be closed.
4Follow-up on the objectives flows into the management review report.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask us before getting started

Is reducing waste mandatory under FSSC?

Having a documented policy and objectives, with measurable targets and timelines, and controlling where product goes is mandatory. The scheme does not set how much must be reduced.

Can nonconforming product be donated?

Only if the nonconformity does not affect food safety or legal compliance, for example a cosmetic defect. What is not safe is not donated.

What controls are required for by-products sent for feed?

That they comply with feed legislation, that the recipient is registered and that the material is kept separate from waste and contaminants. If it goes to feed, the recipient may need certification such as GMP+.

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