SALSA Standards - New Issues Launched

SALSA certification is valued and recognised by the major UK food buyers, including retailers, foodservice providers and the public sector. The 2026 update ensures the Standards continue to reflect industry expectations while remaining proportionate and achievable for small and micro food and drink businesses.

SALSA has announced an update of all four Standards across the certification scheme. The new issues are available from 1 June 2026, and from 1 September 2026, all audits will be conducted against these new Standard issues.

The food industry doesn’t stand still, and neither does the regulations and guidance that underpin it. These updates keep SALSA aligned with current best practice and regulatory expectations and ensure that the retailers, wholesalers and foodservice companies who recognise SALSA certification can continue to rely on a standard that is current and rigorous.

These changes are evolutionary, those businesses already running good food safety systems will find much of the updated content familiar. The new Standard issues support and strengthen what good producers are already doing, they are not designed to catch anyone out.

The new issues across the Standards are:

Food & Drink Production – Issue 7

SALSA plus Beer – Issue 5

SALSA plus Cheese – Issue 7

Brokers, Storage & Distribution – Issue 2

Dr John Tomlinson, Managing Director of STL Ltd, said: “These updated Standards reflect what we’ve learned from working alongside thousands of small producers since 2007. They’re designed to keep SALSA certification relevant, practical and valuable both for the businesses we support and the buyers who rely on SALSA Approval as a mark of confidence.”

SALSA is providing a comprehensive programme of support during the transition, including a ‘Guide to the new SALSA Standard Issues’ video, four live scheme-specific webinars across the 23rd and 24th June and a library of support resources. Please visit