HACCP certification in Vietnam

HACCP certification in Vietnam at a glance

HACCP sits at the centre of Vietnamese food regulation in a quiet way: under Decree No. 15/2018/NĐ-CP a food business holding a valid HACCP certificate does not need a separate food safety eligibility certificate, a point the Ministry of Industry and Trade confirmed when an instant noodle manufacturer asked. The seven principles — hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective action, verification and records — are also what importers in many markets expect from processors of seafood, fruit, coffee and packaged foods. HACCP certification is issued by a certification body against a defined HACCP standard or scheme; choose a body accredited for that scope, through BoA or another body within the international recognition arrangements. Sterling's Ho Chi Minh City office forms the HACCP team, maps the process flow, validates critical limits and trains staff, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included. Local questions follow.

Who needs HACCP in Vietnam, and what happens without it

In Vietnam 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 processors and manufacturersA valid HACCP certificate exempts the establishment from the food safety eligibility certificate.
• Seafood, fruit, coffee and packaged-food exportersImporting markets and buyers expect HACCP-based control.
• Smaller producers starting with food safety systemsHACCP is a first step before ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000.

HACCP requirements in Vietnam

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

In Vietnam 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 Vietnam

One team from the Ho Chi Minh City office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Delivery across Vietnam from the Ho Chi Minh City office, on-site and remote.

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

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

• Number of products, lines and critical control points
• Validation of critical limits
• Scheduling around the Tết break

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 Vietnam?

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 Vietnam these factors move both.

• Number of sites and product complexity
• Monitoring equipment for critical control points
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting

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 Vietnam

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 Vietnam 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 Vietnam: questions clients ask

More on HACCP for Vietnamese organisations

• HACCP: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement HACCP
• Sterling in Ho Chi Minh City
• HACCP certification in Vietnam and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Vietnamese businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 20 standards Sterling delivers in Vietnam →