SALSA Certification Requirements: What Does Your Business Need?

What are the requirements for SALSA certification?

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SALSA certification requires a food business to demonstrate that it can produce, handle, store or distribute safe and legal food in accordance with the standard relevant to its activities.

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The requirements are not limited to having a food safety manual. Your business must be able to show that its procedures are appropriate, staff understand their responsibilities, controls are followed and records provide evidence that the system is working.

Since 1 September 2026, SALSA audits have been conducted against the new issues of all four standards. Businesses preparing for an audit should therefore check the correct current standard rather than rely on an older checklist or a document prepared for a different type of operation.

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1. Select the correct SALSA standard

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The first step is establishing which standard applies to your business.

The four current issues are:

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Food & Drink Production Issue 7.

Brokers, Storage & Distribution Issue 2.

SALSA plus Beer Issue 5.

SALSA plus Cheese Issue 7.

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Your activities determine the appropriate starting point. Do not assume that the general Food & Drink Production standard is automatically correct for every business handling food.

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2. Food safety management and HACCP

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HACCP is central to the Food & Drink Production standard. Your food safety management system must identify hazards, assess their significance and establish appropriate controls.

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Preparation will normally involve reviewing:

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The scope of your HACCP system.

Product descriptions and intended use.

Process flow diagrams.

Microbiological, chemical, physical and allergen hazards.

Risk assessments and appropriate control measures.

Critical control points and critical limits, where applicable.

Monitoring, corrective action and verification procedures.

HACCP records, reviews and the competence of the people responsible.

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Your HACCP system should describe what actually happens in the business. If your process changes, your documentation and risk assessment may need to change as well.

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3. Staff training and personal hygiene

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Your staff must understand the food safety responsibilities relevant to their roles.

The Food & Drink Production standard includes documented training requirements, records demonstrating staff competence and a programme for refresher training. Personal hygiene arrangements must also be established and implemented.

 

Review whether employees know:

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The hygiene rules that apply to their work.

How to prevent contamination.

When and how to wash their hands.

What protective clothing is required.

How to report illness or other relevant health concerns.

What action to take when a food safety control fails.

A training certificate alone does not prove that the employee understands or consistently follows the procedure.

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4. Cleaning, allergens and contamination control

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Cleaning arrangements must be suitable for the operation and supported by documented schedules, procedures and records.

Under Food & Drink Production Issue 7, the standard also addresses verification of cleaning effectiveness, cleaning chemicals and risk-based environmental sampling for high-risk or high-care areas.

 

Allergen management requires more than checking the ingredients on a recipe. Businesses need to identify allergens in incoming materials and products, assess cross-contamination risks and implement controls appropriate to those risks.

The standard also addresses the accuracy and legality of allergen information across product labels and relevant point-of-sale information, including e-commerce, websites and marketing materials.

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5. Supplier and raw material controls

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Your business should be able to demonstrate how suppliers are approved and monitored, how incoming materials are checked and how relevant specifications are maintained.

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The Food & Drink Production standard includes documented supplier approval, a current approved supplier list, raw material specifications and assessment of food fraud, adulteration or substitution risks.

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The extent of your controls should reflect the risks associated with your ingredients, packaging, suppliers and activities.

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6. Product specifications, labelling and shelf life

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Food manufacturers need suitable and current product and manufacturing specifications. Depending on the product, these may address ingredients, processing requirements, allergen information, safety parameters, packaging, storage and shelf life.

Your labelling controls should help ensure that information provided to consumers and business customers is accurate and legally compliant.

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Shelf-life decisions and product testing should be supported by appropriate evidence for the products concerned. Do not rely on an assumed shelf life simply because a similar product is available in the market.

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7. Traceability, incidents and corrective actions

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A business should be able to identify where its ingredients and packaging came from and where finished products have gone.

The Food & Drink Production standard requires a documented traceability system and testing of traceability in both directions at least annually, with greater frequency where supply-chain risks warrant it.

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Your business should also have a procedure for responding to incidents that could compromise product safety or legality. The standard requires the incident procedure to be challenge-tested at least annually.

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If a recall, withdrawal, improvement notice or legal proceedings related to product safety or legality occurs, the Food & Drink Production standard requires SALSA to be informed within three working days, with a subsequent investigation summary provided.

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8. Premises, equipment and maintenance

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Your premises, equipment, layout and working methods must be appropriate for the products and processes involved.

Review:

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Cleaning and maintenance arrangements.

Prevention of contamination and pest activity.

Equipment suitability and condition.

Temperature and environmental controls where applicable.

Storage, transport and distribution arrangements.

Procedures for equipment failure and the assessment of affected product.

The exact requirements will depend on your operation and the applicable standard.

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9. Records and evidence

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Documentation should be accurate, legible, accessible and maintained as required by the standard.

For Food & Drink Production Issue 7, records relating to product safety, legality and quality must be retained for at least the shelf life of the products plus one year.

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This is one reason it is important to work from the correct issue. Do not assume an older procedure or retention schedule automatically meets the current requirement.

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How should you prepare?

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Begin by obtaining the relevant 2026 SALSA standard and comparing each applicable requirement with your existing arrangements. SALSA provides members with supporting resources, including interpretation guidance and self-assessment tools.

A gap analysis can then identify the work required, assign responsibilities and establish a realistic timetable before the audit.

At Beacon Compliance, we help businesses turn the requirements into practical systems that suit their products, processes and resources.

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Need help reviewing your systems against the current standard? Speak to our team about SALSA consultancy and audit preparation.

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Frequently asked questions

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Do I need HACCP for SALSA certification?

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For the Food & Drink Production standard, a documented HACCP system based on Codex HACCP principles is required. Check the exact requirements of the standard applicable to your business.

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Do I need written procedures for every activity?

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You need the procedures, documents and records specified by the relevant standard and those necessary to manage your legal and food safety risks. The appropriate documentation depends on your operation.

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Can I use my existing food safety documents?

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Yes, where they are suitable, current, complete and implemented effectively. Existing documents should be assessed against the 2026 standard rather than replaced unnecessarily or accepted without review.

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Official source: SALSA — New Standard Issues 2026

 

Related Beacon pages: SALSA Certification · SALSA Consultancy · Meet the Team