India · Certification
HACCP certification in India
Achieve HACCP certification in India with Sterling: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, 20+ years.
- Accredited certification
- Mumbai office team
- Effivity software included
- Academy training included
Who asks for HACCP in India
Clients include
HACCP certification in India at a glance
In India, HACCP is asked for by buyers and schemes rather than required by law. The drivers below show where the pressure comes from.
What does a HACCP certificate prove to an Indian food buyer? That the hazards in each process step have been analysed, critical control points set with limits, monitoring recorded and corrective actions taken — the Codex principles applied and checked by an independent body. The Bureau of Indian Standards lists HACCP (IS 15000) among the systems under its certification, and other certification bodies certify HACCP against their own schemes; look for accreditation that covers the scope. FSSAI and APEDA both appear on NABCB's list of bodies that rely on or recognise its accreditation, which is why accredited certificates carry weight with regulators and export buyers alike. For caterers, hotels and smaller processors, HACCP is often the first step before ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000. Sterling's Navi Mumbai office runs the hazard analysis with the kitchen or production team, validates critical limits and sets up monitoring records in Effivity, with Sterling Academy training included. The local route and questions follow.
Who needs HACCP in India, and what happens without it
In India 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.
- Food manufacturers and caterersHACCP is the hazard-control basis food buyers and regulators expect.
- Food exportersAPEDA recognises NABCB accreditation for schemes it owns.
- Hotels, restaurants and institutional kitchensCorporate and hospitality clients ask for HACCP-based controls.
Not sure which of these applies to you?Answer a short set of questions and your readiness report arrives by e-mail.
Take the HACCP readiness checkHACCP requirements in India
Strip away the vocabulary and HACCP asks a food business to prove six things about how it controls food safety hazards.
In India 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 →
How to get HACCP certified in India
One team from the Mumbai office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Across India from the Navi Mumbai office: on-site in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, on-site or remote for other states; remote delivery for distributed teams.
- Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
- Gap assessment against HACCP and the Indian requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
- Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
- Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
- Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.
- End to end, from one team
- Effivity ISO & GRC software
- Preferential Sterling Academy access, with complimentary awareness training for your people
- Internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard
- Vulnerability assessment on ISMS engagements
The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.
How long does HACCP certification take in India?
There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In India these are the factors that set the timeline.
- Number of products and process lines
- Prerequisite programmes in place
- Validation of critical limits and monitoring records
- Certification body scheduling around festival holidays
Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.
How much does HACCP certification cost in India?
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 India these factors move both.
- Number of sites and process lines
- Certification body fees quoted separately from consulting
- Infrastructure fixes for hygiene and segregation
- Laboratory testing for validation
Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.
HACCP consultants and certification bodies in India
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 India 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.
Laws and regulations that drive HACCP in India (2)
| Instrument | How it treats the standard |
|---|---|
| Bureau of Indian Standards — systems under certification | Market driver BIS lists HACCP (IS 15000) among the systems it certifies as a certification body; no mandate. |
| NABCB — regulators relying on and scheme owners recognising NABCB accreditation (FSSAI, APEDA listed) | Market driver FSSAI and APEDA listed; HACCP not stated. |
Accreditation, audit language and remote audits in India
HACCP certification is issued by a certification body against a HACCP standard or scheme (for example IS 15000, which BIS certifies); choose a body accredited for the scope. No body is named here unless verified. Edition and transition details: HACCP hub →
Audit language
English audits are the norm; agree interviews in Hindi or the state language, any interpreter and the document language with the certification body at application.
Remote and on-site
Remote audit elements are at the certification body's discretion under its accreditation rules; operational sites are normally visited on-site.
HACCP in India: questions clients ask
Is HACCP certification mandatory in India?
FSSAI is among the regulators NABCB lists as relying on its accreditation for some schemes, though the page does not name HACCP. Check your licence conditions with FSSAI and your buyer's supplier terms before deciding whether to certify.
Who certifies HACCP in India?
Several bodies do. BIS certifies HACCP under IS 15000 as one of the systems under its certification, and other accredited certification bodies also offer HACCP certification. Choose a body whose accreditation covers your scope, and remember BIS acts as a certifier, not as the accreditor.
HACCP or ISO 22000?
ISO 22000 wraps a management system around HACCP principles, so it asks for more structure than a HACCP certificate alone. Choose HACCP if a buyer or scheme names it specifically; consider ISO 22000 if you want the wider management framework.
More on HACCP for Indian organisations
Other standards Indian businesses ask Sterling for
Organisations in India often combine HACCP with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.
Start with a free discovery call from the Mumbai office
A Sterling consultant goes through your entities, your regulators and your target date with you. No proposal until the scope is agreed.
Sources
- Bureau of Indian Standards — systems under certification — bis.gov.in (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- NABCB — regulators relying on and scheme owners recognising NABCB accreditation (FSSAI, APEDA listed) — nabcb.qci.org.in (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) — bis.gov.in (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
Talk to a consultant
Plan your certification with the Navi Mumbai team.
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