HACCP certification in Japan

HACCP certification in Japan at a glance

Since 1 June 2021 every food business operator in Japan has, in principle, been required to run hygiene control in line with HACCP, a change introduced by the amendment of the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 46 of 2018). Compliance is overseen through prefectural and municipal food sanitation inspectors, whom the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare trains to guide and verify HACCP introduction. That legal duty does not come with a certificate. Exporters, contract manufacturers and suppliers to retail chains often want more than regulatory compliance, however, and seek a voluntary HACCP certificate or move on to ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000, each issued by an accredited certification body. The practical work is the same in every case: a hazard analysis that reflects the actual process, critical limits that can be monitored, verification records and trained staff. Sterling supports food businesses from the Tokyo office, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included in the engagement.

Who needs HACCP in Japan, and what happens without it

In Japan 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.

• All food business operators in JapanFrom 1 June 2021, in principle all food business operators implement hygiene control in line with HACCP.
• Food exportersOverseas buyers and importers ask for independently verified HACCP.
• Small food businesses using sector guidanceHygiene control in line with HACCP is checked by prefectural and municipal food sanitation inspectors.

HACCP requirements in Japan

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

In Japan 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 Japan

One team from the Tokyo office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Nationwide from the Tokyo office, on-site where the scope requires; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against HACCP and the Japanese 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 Japan?

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

• Number of products, lines and critical control points
• Existing hygiene control plans prepared for the Food Sanitation Act
• Verification and record-keeping maturity

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 Japan?

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 Japan these factors move both.

• Number of sites and product categories
• Certification body fees quoted separately from consulting
• Facility and equipment upgrades needed for prerequisites

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 Japan

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 Japan 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 Japan: questions clients ask

More on HACCP for Japanese organisations

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

Other standards Japanese businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Japan →