A public consultation on the proposed revisions to the MSC Chain of Custody Standard is open.
The consultation is part of our review of the Chain of Custody Standard and associated Chain of Custody Certification Requirements document. We welcome feedback on the proposals from all interested stakeholders via our online survey.
The survey will be open for 60 days until 30 May 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact your regional MSC Representative or [email protected]
Proposed revisions developed
The MSC has developed proposed changes to the Standard and Certification Requirements. The proposals include clarifications to requirements and processes to ensure audits are more consistent and to improve usability for auditors and certificate holders. Proposals have also been developed to strengthen traceability and assurance, while helping certificate holders demonstrate compliance with evolving traceability regulations.
Key revisions proposed include:
- A restructured, single version of the Standard: The three current models of the Chain of Custody Standard (Default, Group and Consumer Facing (CFO)) have been combined into one single document. This intends to resolve inconsistencies between the models and make the Standard clearer for certificate holders and auditors.
- Certificate holders to demonstrate they can access ‘key data elements’: A new requirement to strengthen traceability across the supply chain. Certificate holders would be required to demonstrate to auditors that they can access traceability data (key data elements – KDEs), corresponding to their position in the supply chain.
- Regular internal traceback exercises: A new requirement for certificate holders to complete one internal traceback exercise, using a template provided by MSC, between each audit. This is intended to help businesses strengthen their traceability systems e.g. ensuring there are no gaps in the record-keeping process and help them demonstrate compliance with regulatory and market traceability requirements.
- Modified and standardised risk-assessments: The MSC-defined risk assessment criteria have been revised to align with best practice and established risk factors, and the risk categories have been simplified to low, medium and high.
The revised risk assessment is now to be completed by auditors for all organisations – previously only required for the Group and CFO model. These changes aim to clarify the audit process for certificate holders, help prioritise assurance
activities, such as unannounced audits and DNA testing, and provide better oversight of risk across the entire Chain of Custody certification program.
You can read a full summary of the proposals and view the draft revised Chain of Custody Standard and Certification Requirements below. We recommend viewing these documents before beginning the consultation survey.
- Summary of Proposed Changes
- Draft MSC Chain of Custody Standard
- Draft Chain of Custody Certification Requirements
Versions of the draft Standard and Certification Requirements with the revisions highlighted will be published shortly.
Take part
Please share your feedback on the proposed revisions through our online survey.
The survey is available in English. The following translations will be available soon: French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Polish, and Spanish.
Please note that you cannot save and return to your answers in the online survey. All responses must be received through the online survey, however a Word version is available below if you wish to work on your answers offline before completing the survey.
All feedback will be reviewed and will help us to understand where our proposals are effective, and where further refinement is required.
We will consider feedback from the consultation together with insights from mock audits. These audits are used to understand the cumulative impact of the proposed revisions on the audit process, and to assess how feasible the proposals are for certificate holders to implement.
A report summarising the consultation feedback will be published later in 2026.
Attend our webinar
Two sessions will be held to accommodate different time zones. Register for your preferred session below:
ASC Chain of Custody Module Review
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is carrying out a separate review of their Chain of Custody Module, which applies to all ASC Chain of Custody certificate holders.
An ASC public consultation on proposed revisions to the Module is open between 2 March and 2 May 2026.
The ASC consultation focuses on their intention to introduce human rights and humane slaughter requirements, and improve food safety provisions, while aiming to maintain alignment with the MSC Chain of Custody Standard requirements.
Find out more about the ASC Chain of Custody module review and take part in the consultation.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the consultation, please contact [email protected] or your regional MSC representative.
