HACCP certification in Brazil

HACCP certification in Brazil at a glance

HACCP in Brazil lives in two places at once: the inspection regimes that govern a plant's products and the buyers who ask to see the plan. The Ministry of Agriculture's inspection of animal-origin and plant-origin products and Anvisa's health surveillance decide what is legally required for each category, which this page does not attempt to list. Certification of the principles usually happens inside an ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 audit, where an accredited body can issue a certificate, or through a customer's own programme. Cgcre, Inmetro's accreditation coordination, runs a programme for food safety management system certification bodies. Sterling's New York office helps build hazard analyses, validate critical limits, prepare prerequisite programmes and rehearse audits, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included with the engagement.

Who needs HACCP in Brazil, and what happens without it

In Brazil the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Meat, dairy, fish and egg processorsThey operate under the Ministry of Agriculture's inspection of products of animal origin, which is the setting for hazard analysis.
• Plant-origin food processors and packersPlant products also fall under inspection sections on MAPA's site.
• Bakeries, beverage and ready-meal producersBuyers expect a documented HACCP plan from food suppliers.
• Catering and food service operatorsHazard analysis applies to kitchens and service chains.
• Exporters preparing for importer auditsImporting countries and buyers examine the HACCP plan during plant audits.

HACCP requirements in Brazil

Strip away the vocabulary and HACCP asks a food business to prove six things about how it controls food safety hazards.

In Brazil these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: HACCP explained →

• HACCP requirements, clause by clause in plain language

How to get HACCP certified in Brazil

One team from the New York office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Clients across Brazil are served from Sterling's New York office, on-site where the work needs it and remotely otherwise.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against HACCP and the Brazilian requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• The HACCP certification process, step by step
• HACCP internal audit

How long does HACCP certification take in Brazil?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Brazil these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of product lines and process flows
• Quality of prerequisite programmes and monitoring records
• Validation evidence for critical limits
• Customer or inspection deadline

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does HACCP certification cost in Brazil?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In Brazil these factors move both.

• Number of lines and products in scope
• Monitoring equipment and training
• Certification body audit fees, quoted separately from consulting
• Laboratory testing for validation

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of HACCP

HACCP consultants and certification bodies in Brazil

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers HACCP and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Brazil are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

HACCP in Brazil: questions clients ask

More on HACCP for Brazilian organisations

• HACCP: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement HACCP
• HACCP certification in Brazil and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Brazilian businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in Brazil often combine HACCP with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Brazil →