PR_000_04_R02_en
2022-06-27

Provision for Handling of Complaints
1. Objective
This document specifies the provisions for the Japan Food Safety Management Association(hereinafter referred to as "JFSM") to respond to complaints regarding the business operationsof JFSM in a fair, transparent, and objective manner.
2. Definition(1) Complaints
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, other than appeals, addressed to JFSM by anindividual or organization against the activities of JFSM and related organizations such asaccreditation bodies, certification bodies, organizations, assessment companies, training
organizations, etc., to which the individual or organization expects a response where thecomplaint remains unsolved in spite of the initial actions by JFSM.
Appeals related to the operation of the JFS-C certification program shall be handled inaccordance with the "PR_301_05 Provision for Handling of Appeals Concerning the JFS-C
Certification Program", and appeals related to the JFS Audit and Conformity Assessment
Program shall be handled in accordance with the "PR_101_01 Provision for Handling of Appeals
Concerning the JFS Audit and Conformity Assessment Program” (hereinafter collectively
referred to as " Provision for Handling of Appeals").
(2) Executive meeting
Executive meeting refers to consultations by a consultative body consisting of the president,
secretary general, and related group leader(s) of JFSM.
3. Responsibilities(1) The President shall have the following responsibilities to:1) make decisions on the acceptance of complaints;
2) make decisions on the policy in response to complaints; and3) check whether or not the response of any accreditation bodies, certification bodies and/ororganizations, assessment companies and/or organizations, and training organizations areappropriate.
(2) The Secretary-General shall have the responsibilities to:1) act as a secretariat function for the Executive meeting;2) ensure corrective actions derived from complaints;
3) report to the Board of Directors on the status of progress in responding to complaints
received, the policy for responding to complaints and the results of the completed response,
and whether or not there are any objections to the results of these responses; and
4) report on the existence of complaints to the annual management review meeting of theassociation.

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4. Application
4. 1 Contact for and Receipt of Complaints
JFSM shall receive the complaints filed using the Complaint Statement (Form 1 heretoattached) or by any means by which the details of the complaint are clear (including e-mail andother electromagnetic methods). JFSM, shall in principle, receive no oral statements ofcomplaint.
4. 2 Acceptance of Complaints(1) The President shall decide to accept as a complaint those cases that fall under 2 (1), after
deliberation by the Executive meeting.
However, a complaint that falls under any of the following cases shall not be accepted
1） A complaint that can be judged to be outside the scope of responsibility or authority ofJFSM
2） Cases in which the name and contact information of the complainant cannot be specified
3） The complaint is related to court proceedings such as civil lawsuits, civil arbitration, etc.
4） Cases in which it is clear that the complaint is the same as a complaint that has alreadybeen received by JFSM (however, even if the complaint is about the same event, itexcludes cases in which the complaint is about a different matter or for a different reason,or in which there has been a change in circumstances such as the submission of new facts).
(2) The Secretary-General shall select the Secretariat personnel for any complaints whose
acceptance is decided (hereinafter referred to as the "the appointed personnel") from among
the JFSM personnel who do not directly engage in the business concerned with thecomplaint.
(3) As soon as the acceptance is decided, the appointed personnel shall provide a notice ofacceptance to the filing party in writing.
(4) After a decision on acceptance made, the steps prescribed in 4.4 shall apply to complaints.
4. 3 Non-Acceptance
The following provides for the steps that shall be implemented after a decision of nonacceptance made.
(1) As soon as the non-acceptance of a complaint is decided, the General Affairs Department of
the Secretariat shall provide a notice of non-acceptance and the reason for the nonacceptance to the party filing it in writing. The notice of non-acceptance shall clearly state
the procedure for appealing the decision of non-acceptance.
(2) If the filing party is dissatisfied with the decision of non-acceptance, it may file an appeal
against it to JFSM no later than fourteen (14) days after the receipt of the notice of nonacceptance mentioned 4. 3 (1).
4. 4 Handling of Complaints
The appointed personnel shall respond to complaints according to the following procedures.
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PR_000_04_R02_en
2022-06-27(1) Complaints about accreditation bodies or certification bodies
1） The appointed personnel shall ask the accreditation bodies or the certification bodies
concerned to carry out an investigation and response concerning the complaint and toreport their results to JFSM.
2） Executive meeting shall discuss whether or not the response of the accreditation bodies
or the certification bodies is appropriate.
3） If the President deems it necessary to investigate the accreditation bodies or thecertification bodies as a result of Executive meeting, JFSM shall directly visit theaccreditation bodies or the certification bodies to carry out an investigation.
4） If the President deems the accreditation activities of the accreditation bodies or thecertifying activities of the certification bodies questionable as a result of the visiting
investigation and deliberations at Executive meeting, it shall make a written request tothe bodies concerned for correction.
(2) Complaints about assessment companies or training organizations
1） The appointed personnel shall ask the assessment companies or the training
organizations concerned to carry out an investigation and response concerning thecomplaint and to report their results to JFSM.
2） Executive meeting shall discuss whether or not the response of the assessment companiesor the training organizations is appropriate.
3） If the President deems it necessary to investigate the assessment companies or thetraining organizations as a result of Executive meeting, JFSM shall directly visit theassessment companies or the training organizations to carry out an investigation.
4） If the President deems the activities of the assessment companies or the activities of thetraining organizations questionable as a result of the visiting investigation anddeliberations at Executive meeting, it shall make a written request to the bodies
concerned for correction.
(3) Complaints about the activities of JFSM
1） The appointed personnel shall investigate and confirm the facts related to the complaints.
These investigations and confirmations shall be conducted by interviewing the personconcerned or meeting with the filing party at an appropriate time.
2） The appointed personnel shall draft a policy for response to the complaint on the basis of
the investigation and verification results.
3） After deliberation at Executive meeting, the President shall consider the draft response
policy to determine the response policy.
4） The appointed personnel shall handle the complaint in accordance with the response
policy.
5） If necessary or upon request from the filing party, the appointed personnel shall report
the progress of the complaint handling process to the filing party in writing.
(4) Complaints Other Than Those Mentioned in 4. 4 (1), (2), and (3)1） The appointed personnel shall investigate and confirm the facts related to the complaints.
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These investigations and confirmations shall be conducted by interviewing the person
concerned or meeting with the filing party at an appropriate time.
2） The appointed personnel shall draft a policy for response to the complaint on the basis of
the investigation and verification results.
3） After deliberation at Executive meeting, the President shall consider the draft response
policy to determine the response policy.
4） The appointed personnel shall handle the complaint in accordance with the responsepolicy.
5） If necessary or upon request from the filing party, the appointed personnel shall report
the progress of the complaint handling process to the filing party in writing.
(5) Steps after Termination of Complaint Handling
1） Upon termination of the complaint handling, the appointed personnel shall promptly givenotice of the results of the handling to the filing party in writing.
The appointed personnel shall clearly state the procedure for appealing in the Notice ofComplaint Handling Results.
In addition, a draft of the document in case of publication shall be provided according to5. 3.
2） If the filing party is dissatisfied with the complaint handling results, it may file an appeal
against them to JFSM no later than fourteen (14) days after the receipt of the Notice ofComplaint Handling Results.
3） In the event of an appeal against the complaint handling results, the steps for acceptanceand handling stipulated in "Provision for Handling of Appeals".
5. Others
5. 1 Suspension of Complaint HandlingIf the matter concerned with complaints accepted is put to litigation or arbitration before thehandling reaches completion, the handling pursuant to this Provision shall be suspended until
the end of the litigation or arbitration.
5. 2 Record and Reporting of Complaint Handling(1) The appointed personnel shall keep records of the progress of the handling of the complaint
accepted, and complaint handling results.
(2) The Secretary-General shall report to the Board of Directors on the progress of the handlingof complaints accepted, complaint handling results, and the existence or absence of appeals
against the response.
5. 3 Publication of Complaint Handling Results

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JFSM shall confirm with the complainant as well as the relevant organizations andinstitutions, if any, whether or not to publish the process and results of the response to thecomplaint on the JFSM website.
In addition, if JFSM judges that publication is not appropriate for reasonable reasons, it may
not publish the information.
Circumstances related to whether or not to make the above public announcement shall be
described in the record in 5. 2.
5. 4 Prohibition of Discriminatory Behaviors
JFSM shall respond to complaints in a fair and impartial manner, and shall ensure that theassociation's employees are aware that the complainant will not be discriminated against due
to policy decisions regarding complaints.
5. 5 Non-Disclosure
JFSM shall keep confidential any information acquired on the basis of complaints handling,and shall not disclose it to any third party or publish it without the consent of the filing party
other stakeholders.

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Form 1
To: Japan Food Safety Management Association

Complaint Statement
DateOrganization“Furigana” for JP
only
Name
Contact

Postal Address:

Information

Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:Statement(Separate sheets may be attached.)

Supporting(If any supporting documents and materials are attached, please

Materials, etc.

specify their titles.)For Use by the Secretariat Only
Date of Receiving:
Name of Receiving Person:(Receiving person -> Receiving personnel: General Affairs Dept., Secretariat)

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Revision historyOutline of revision

Date of enactment/revision

Newly publishedFeb. 18, 2020

This provision was revised in accordance with the release ofJFS-C Certification Program Ver. 3.1.

August 18, 2021

The definition of some terms such as a complaint was revised. June 27, 2022

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