HACCP System Certification to Codex CXC 1-1969 (Rev. 2022)
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is a science-based preventive approach for identifying, evaluating and controlling hazards significant to food safety. Rather than relying solely on finished-product testing, HACCP focuses on process control at steps where loss of control could make food unsafe for its intended use.
The principal international basis for HACCP is the General Principles of Food Hygiene - CXC 1-1969, developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The text was revised in 1997, 2003, 2020 and 2022; the FAO/WHO edition published in Rome in 2023 incorporates the 2022 revision. The current structure consists of Part One on Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs) and Part Two on the HACCP system and guidelines for its application.
GHPs and Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs) establish the basic hygienic and operational conditions. Where hazard analysis determines that GHPs are insufficient to control significant hazards, the organization must establish a HACCP plan with control measures applied at Critical Control Points (CCPs). HACCP cannot therefore operate effectively unless appropriate PRPs/GHPs have been established, implemented and verified.
HACCP can be applied at different stages of the food chain, including primary production, importation, processing, manufacturing, packaging, storage, logistics, distribution, retail and food service. Its application may be flexible according to product characteristics, size, resources and risk level; nevertheless, all seven principles must be considered, supported by scientific evidence and tailored to the products, processes, intended use and actual operating conditions of each establishment.
The revised Codex text also emphasizes management commitment, personnel competence, communication, food safety culture, change management and control of allergen cross-contact. HACCP focuses on food safety; quality, sensory or spoilage issues fall within its scope only where they relate to hazards that may cause adverse health effects for consumers.
The 12-step sequence and seven HACCP principles established by Codex include:
- Preparation for the HACCP study - Steps 1 to 5: Assemble the HACCP team and identify the scope; describe the product; identify the intended use and consumer groups; construct the flow diagram; and confirm the flow diagram on site.
- Principle 1 - Step 6: List potential hazards at each process step, conduct a hazard analysis to identify significant hazards and identify appropriate control measures.
- Principle 2 - Step 7: Determine CCPs for significant hazards where control at that step is essential.
- Principle 3 - Step 8: Establish validated critical limits for each CCP that clearly separate acceptable from unacceptable conditions.
- Principle 4 - Step 9: Establish a monitoring system for each CCP, defining the parameter, method, frequency, responsibility and records required to detect a trend towards loss of control or a deviation promptly.
- Principle 5 - Step 10: Establish corrective actions for deviations, including restoring control, isolating and determining the disposition of affected product, analyzing the cause and preventing recurrence.
- Principle 6 - Step 11: Validate the HACCP plan before implementation and establish verification activities to demonstrate that the system operates as intended.
- Principle 7 - Step 12: Establish documentation and maintain records appropriate to the size and nature of the operation and sufficient to demonstrate that control measures are implemented and maintained.
Benefits of implementing and certifying HACCP
- Proactive hazard control: Shift the focus from detecting failures in finished products to preventing hazards in raw materials, the production environment and processes.
- Resources focused on critical areas: Identify significant hazards and CCPs so that controls can be prioritized at steps that are decisive for food safety.
- Evidence-based decisions: Require scientific support for hazard analysis, control measures, critical limits and validation activities.
- Support for compliance and customer requirements: Provide a structure for identifying, implementing and demonstrating compliance with legal, contractual, retailer and supply-chain requirements.
- Improved traceability and response: Monitoring, deviation, corrective-action and product-disposition records help rapidly identify and contain affected lots during an incident.
- Reduced losses and disruption: Minimize unsafe product, returns, complaints, recalls, waste and crisis-management costs.
- A foundation for system development: PRPs/GHPs and HACCP are core components that enable organizations to progress towards ISO 22000, FSSC 22000 or other appropriate food safety programmes.
GIC Vietnam provides independent assessment and certification of HACCP systems within a defined scope of products, processes and sites, based on the principles and application guidance of Codex CXC 1-1969 and relevant certification criteria. The Codex Alimentarius Commission does not itself issue HACCP certificates; reference to Codex does not imply endorsement of the certification body by FAO or WHO.
HACCP certification is not certification of individual products, does not replace testing, official controls or the establishment's legal responsibilities, and does not provide an absolute guarantee that a food safety incident will never occur. Its value lies in independent evidence that the hazard-control system within the certification scope has been established, implemented and maintained in accordance with the assessment criteria.
This service is suitable for:
- Facilities producing, preparing, processing or packaging food, beverages, ingredients, additives or animal feed.
- Farming, livestock, harvesting, slaughtering and other primary-production operations seeking to control hazards through HACCP.
- Cold-storage and food-warehouse operators, transport and logistics providers, distributors, importers, wholesalers and food retailers.
- Restaurants, hotels, institutional kitchens, industrial catering operations, food-service providers and establishments preparing food at the point of sale.
- Organizations requiring certification to meet legal, customer, tender, export, supplier-assessment or supply-chain requirements.
- Organizations seeking to standardize an existing HACCP programme or establish a foundation for ISO 22000 and other food safety certification programmes.
1. Certification application & application review
The organization contacts GIC Vietnam for guidance and provides information on the proposed certification scope; sites; products or product groups; raw materials; intended use and consumer groups; processes and technologies; flow diagrams; operating shifts; seasonal activities; outsourced processes; PRPs/GHPs; number of HACCP plans; and relevant legal and customer requirements. GIC Vietnam reviews the application to determine the assessment criteria, scope, required technical competence, audit duration and audit conditions, and then agrees with the organization on fees and the certification contract.
2. Audit planning & preparation
GIC Vietnam establishes the certification programme, appoints an audit team competent in the relevant product groups, technologies, processes and specific hazards, and prepares a detailed audit plan. The plan defines the objectives, scope, criteria, sites, timing, production shifts, products, processes and CCPs to be sampled. It is communicated to the organization so that the necessary documents, records, personnel, hygienic conditions and personal protective equipment can be prepared.
3. Audit process
The audit includes document review and an on-site assessment:
- Document review and readiness assessment: Evaluate the scope, HACCP team, product descriptions, intended use, flow diagrams, PRPs/GHPs, hazard-analysis method, CCP determination, scientific basis for critical limits, monitoring plan, corrective actions, validation, verification and record-control system.
- On-site assessment: Confirm the flow diagrams and actual operating conditions; evaluate implementation of PRPs/GHPs, food safety culture, personnel competence and effectiveness of the HACCP plan across the processes, shifts and CCPs within scope. Sampling covers control of raw materials, allergens and cross-contamination; CCP monitoring; management of deviations and affected products; calibration, sampling, testing, traceability, recall and verification. Principal activities include: Opening meeting → On-site observation → Interviews and record review → Consolidation of findings → Closing meeting.
4. Audit report & nonconformity management
The audit team prepares a report stating its conclusions and any nonconformities identified. Where necessary, the organization must immediately control the affected process, CCP or product; take immediate correction; evaluate the extent of affected lots; analyze root causes; and propose and implement corrective actions within the specified timeframe. GIC Vietnam reviews the evidence and may conduct an additional audit before submitting the certification file for technical review.
5. Technical review & certification
A reviewer and certification decision-maker independent of the audit team review the complete certification file, audit report, corrective-action evidence and conclusions concerning the effectiveness of the HACCP system. When all requirements have been met, GIC Vietnam makes the certification decision and issues a HACCP certificate with a clearly defined scope of products, processes and sites. The certificate remains valid for a three-year certification cycle, provided that the organization maintains conformity and completes surveillance audits under the certification programme.
6. Surveillance and recertification
During the certification cycle, GIC Vietnam conducts periodic surveillance audits to confirm that the PRPs/GHPs and HACCP system continue to be maintained, updated and effective. The first surveillance audit is conducted no later than 12 months after the initial certification decision. The organization must notify GIC Vietnam of significant changes to products, raw materials, formulations, processes, equipment, packaging, shelf life, sites, scope or legal requirements, as well as food safety incidents and product recalls that may affect certification. Before the certificate expires, a recertification audit is conducted to determine whether certification may be renewed for the next cycle.
International credibility and broad recognition
GIC is a reputable certification body whose services are widely recognized through accreditation marks from leading accreditation bodies such as UKAS (United Kingdom), JASANZ (Australia - New Zealand), CPSC (United States), SAC (Singapore), CNAS (China) and VICAS (Vietnam). Certificates issued by GIC are recognized worldwide through the mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) of Global ACI and APAC. This helps organizations reduce technical barriers and gain easier access to international markets.
Professional service & cost efficiency
GIC Vietnam provides services in accordance with the stringent standards applied in Europe and North America, ensuring independence, impartiality and professionalism throughout the certification process. In addition to high service quality, GIC offers reasonable and competitive fees, enabling organizations to use their investment resources efficiently while obtaining internationally recognized certification.
GIC VIETNAM
🏢 Hanoi: 12F, 14 Lang Ha Building, Giang Vo Ward
☎ Tel: 024 6275 2268 | Hotline: 0984 609 469
✉ Email: tuandm@gicvn.vn
🏢 Ho Chi Minh City: R502, 160 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
☎ Tel: 028 3930 7936
