JFS-C Certification
Program Document
Version 3.1

Japan Food Safety Management Association
August 23rd, 2021

JFS-C Certification Program Document
Version 3.1

1.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................................... 1

1.1

Objective .....................................................................................................................................................1

1.2

Establishment of the Program ....................................................................................................................1

1.3 Features of the Program ..............................................................................................................................1
1.4

Reference standard documents ..................................................................................................................2

1.5

Standards covered by this Program ............................................................................................................2

1.6

Certification program operating organization structure ............................................................................3

2.

REGULATIONS FOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM OWNER ..................................................................... 4

2.1

Certification Program Owner (CPO) ............................................................................................................4

2.2

Role of the CPO in standard development .................................................................................................4

2.3

Prohibition on operation of this JFS-C standard by the CPO ......................................................................4

2.4

Prevention of abuse of dominant position .................................................................................................4

2.5

Use of logo mark related to certification by this Program .........................................................................5

2.6

Multilateral recognition rules for accreditation activities ..........................................................................5

2.7

Accreditation scope (target sectors) ...........................................................................................................5

2.8Standard and Program name and version ..................................................................................................5

2.9Translation of standard documents ............................................................................................................5

2.10 Business quality management system........................................................................................................5
2.11 JFSM activity report ....................................................................................................................................53.

DEVELOPMENT AND REVISION OF JFS-C STANDARD DOCUMENTS AND OPERATIONAL INTEGRITY ..... 6

3.1

JFS-C standard document development and revision process ...................................................................6

3.2

Operation and integrity of this Program .....................................................................................................6

3.3

Review of operational status of this Program ............................................................................................7

3.4

Regulations for the Stakeholder Committee ..............................................................................................7

3.5

Response to opinions, questions and complaints from stakeholders ........................................................7

3.6

Development and implementation of Integrity Program ...........................................................................8

3.7

Certification body accreditation criteria .....................................................................................................8

3.8

Scope of certification body accreditation ...................................................................................................83.9

Data management for Program operation .................................................................................................93.10 Confirmation of certificate authenticity .....................................................................................................93.11 Switching the GFSI recognized certification program ................................................................................93.12 Requirements for ICT-based remote audits ...............................................................................................94.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCREDITATION BODIES ................................................................................ 10

4.1

Requirements for accreditation bodies ................................................................................................... 10

4.2 Additional requirements for ISO/IEC 17011:2017 .................................................................................... 10
5.

REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION BODIES .................................................................................. 14

5.1

Fundamental requirements for certification activities ............................................................................ 14

5.2

Requirements for certification activities ................................................................................................. 18

6.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL AND AUDITORS ........................................................................... 25

6.1 Requirements for personnel ..................................................................................................................... 25
6.2 Requirements for auditors......................................................................................................................... 25
6.3 Competence required for technical reviewers .......................................................................................... 28
6.4 Witness-assessors competence ................................................................................................................. 28
ANNEX 1 (NORMATIVE) CALCULATION OF MINIMUM AUDIT DURATION ................................................. 29
ANNEX 2 (NORMATIVE) COMPETENCE OF AUDITORS, WITNESS ASSESSORS AND TECHNICAL REVIEWERS IN
THE JFS-C STANDARD ............................................................................................................................. 32
ANNEX 3 (NORMATIVE) SCOPE OF CERTIFICATION, AUDITOR'S QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION, AND WORKEXPERIENCE ........................................................................................................................................... 49
ANNEX 4 (NORMATIVE) RISK FACTORS OF OPERATIONAL INTEGRITY IN JFSM .......................................... 51

1.

Program overview

1.1

Objective

Providing safe food to everyone should be the mission of all organizations in the food supply chain. The systemdefined by the requirements and procedures described in this document (hereinafter referred to as "thisProgram") is a means of confirming by third-party certification that organizations are implementing their foodsafety management systems. This Program standardizes the means to ensure food safety throughout the foodsupply chain and aims to improve the level of food safety for organizations seeking to use this certification.
This Program is expected to further improve the level of food safety throughout the entire food supply chain
and optimize the cost of food safety by promoting the initiatives of these individual organizations.

1.2

Establishment of the ProgramThis Program and its related documents are established by the Japan Food Safety Management Association(hereinafter referred to as "the association" or "JFSM").

1.3 Features of the ProgramThis Program has the following features.
1.3.1 Easy to understand for any organization
This Program aims to promote further improvement of the level of food safety throughout the entire foodsupply chain and to make it easy for any organization to implement regardless of the scale, form, situation of
the organization or the characteristics of its products. A supplementary explanation of the requirements isprovided in separate guidelines. Methods will be separately provided so that each organization can adapt theProgram to its own situation and gradually improve its own level of food safety.

1.3.2 Top management driven shop-floor oriented system
It is important that the top management of the organization steadily participate in the food safety initiatives,
define policies and goals, and appropriately provide management resources such as personnel and funds inorder to improve the food safety level of an organization. In addition, this Program emphasizes the proper useof opinions on food safety from personnel who are actually involved in the food production and manufacturing.
It is important for personnel on site to perform their work with a high degree of awareness, and that theopinions of the personnel be used appropriately to actually maintain and improve the level of food safety. This
will motivate the personnel on site and enable them to gain a highly ethical work attitude, and can foster afood safety culture throughout the organization.

1.3.3 Flexibility based on scientific and logical approach
The Program requires a scientifically based approach to manage hazards that threaten food safety. Flexibility
is allowed in the management methods and means as long as they are scientifically and experimentallysupported.
1.3.4 The consistency of this Program is ensured with international standards such as the benchmarking
requirements of the Global Food Safety Initiative (hereinafter referred to as "GFSI"), the "General Principlesof Food Hygiene" of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the ISO food safety management systems andrelated certification systems.

11.3.5 This Program does not use scores, rankings, or grade evaluations in the certification audits oforganizations and the audits of certification body offices.

1.4

Reference standard documents

This Program is based on ISO/IEC 17011:2017, Conformity assessment — Requirements for accreditation
bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies (hereinafter referred to as "ISO/IEC 17011"), ISO/IEC 170211:2015 Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management
systems — Part 1: Requirements (hereinafter referred to as "ISO/IEC 17021"), ISO/TS 22003:2013 Food safety
management systems — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of food safety management
systems (hereinafter referred to as "ISO/TS 22003"), and IAF MD4:2018 IAF mandatory document for the useof information and communication technology (ICT) for auditing/assessment purposes (hereinafter referred
to as “IAF MD4”).

1.5

Standards covered by this ProgramThis Program defines the accreditation and certification programs of the JFS-C standard (hereinafter referred
to as this Standard). The sectors to which this Standard applies are the " Food Manufacturing Sectors (CI, CII,
CIII, CIV)" and "Chemical Products Manufacturing Sector (K), including biochemical products (manufacture ofadditives, vitamins, minerals, cultures, flavors, enzymes, processing aids, etc.)”.
In addition, chemical products here mean a chemical product (including a biochemical product) related to food.
*Pet food is included in the following food manufacturing sector (C).
The sectors covered by this Standard and Program are based on the GFSI food supply chain sector classificationand cover the scope of GFSI approvals.
The target sectors and subsectors are as follows.
Refer to Annex 3 for Scope of certification and Sector activities and products.

The sectors covered by this Standard and Program are based on the GFSI food supply chain sector
classification and cover the scope of GFSI approvals. The target sectors and subsectors are as follows.

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Table 1 List of JFS Standard Document Sectors
Code

Sector/Subsector

Code

Sector/Subsector

AI

Farming of Animals for Meat/ Milk /Eggs / HoneyFI

Retail / Wholesale

AII

Farming of Fish and Seafood

FII

Food Broker / Agent

BI

Farming of Plants (other than grains and pulses)

H

Provision of Food Safety Services

BII

Farming of Grains and Pulses

G

Provision of Storage and Distribution Services

BIII

Pre-process handling of plant products

I

Production of Food Packaging

C0

Animal primary conversion

CI

Processing of perishable animal products

CII

Processing of perishable
plant products

CIII

Processing of perishable animal and plant
products (mixed products)

CIV

Processing of ambient stable productsD

Production of feedE

Catering

JI

JII

K

Hygienic Design of Food Buildings andProcessing Equipment (for building constructors andequipment manufacturers)
Hygienic Design of Food Buildings andProcessing Equipment (for building andequipment users)

Manufacture of chemical products (including
biochemical products) (Manufacture of additives,
vitamins, minerals, cultures, flavors, enzymes,
processing aids, etc.)

Reference: The GFSI Benchmarking Requirements version 2020 PART I

1.6

Certification program operating organization structure

1.6.1 The business organization of JFSM consists of a Board of Directors, a Board of Councilors, inspectors andthe JFSM Secretariat. The rules for each entity in the organization are stipulated in the articles of incorporation,and the main functions and authorities of each entity are as follows.
1) The Board of Directors resolves matters related to the business execution of JFSM and approves the
documents of the standards (Certification Program Document and JFS-C Standard Document) and theregulations related to this Program.
2) The Board of Councilors resolves important matters related to the operation of JFSM, including theappointment and dismissal of directors and auditors.
3) The Inspectors audit the performance of the duties performed by the directors.
4) The JFSM Secretariat handles the business affairs of JFSM.

1.6.2 JFSM may, with the approval of the Board of Directors, establish a working group of experts when
deemed necessary to operate the Program. JFSM also establishes a Stakeholder Committee to serve as anadvisory body.
1.6.3 The Board of Directors appoints representatives from the JFSM Secretariat who are responsible forcontacting the accreditation bodies and certification bodies and the GFSI.
1.6.4 Responsibility and authority of the organization that manages this Program are defined in "JFS-C
Certification Program Organization Regulations".

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2.

Regulations for Certification Program Owner

2.1

Certification Program Owner (CPO)This JFS-C Standard and Program are operated and managed by the Japan Food Safety Management
Association (JFSM), which is the CPO of this Program. JFSM was established based on the “Act on General
Incorporated Associations and General Incorporated Foundations” (Act No.48 of 2006) of Japan.

2.2

Role of the CPO in standard development

2.2.1 As the CPO of this standard, JFSM continually reviews these standard documents and, if necessary,
revises them while taking into account the requests of stakeholders. Revisions include changes required to beconsistent with revisions to the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements.
2.2.2 As the CPO of this standard, JFSM has the authority to develop and revise the JFS standard.
2.2.3 As the CPO of this standard, JFSM does not perform conformity assessment and certification activities.
In addition, this Program shall be developed and managed and owned by JFSM, and shall not be developed orowned by any certification bodies or its affiliated organizations.
2.2.4 As the CPO of this JFS-C standard, JFSM specifies the requirements for the accreditation bodies tooperate this Program in Chapter 4 below.
2.2.5 As the CPO of this JFS-C standard, JFSM specifies the requirements for the certification bodies to operate
this Program in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 below.

2.3

Prohibition on operation of this JFS-C standard by the CPO

As the CPO, JFSM does not engage in consultation activities related to the Program.

2.4

Prevention of abuse of dominant position

JFSM shall not abuse its dominant position, force an organization to acquire certification based on thisstandard or a standard related to this standard, or engage in promoting or extending itself.

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2.5

Use of logo mark related to certification by this ProgramThis Program is intended to certify the food safety management system of an organization, not the food safetyof the product itself. Therefore, even if an organization has acquired certification under this Program, theorganization is prohibited from using any labels, marks and/or descriptions on the product concerning thecertification of this Program which indicates conformity to the food safety standard.
The use of the logo mark related to the certification of this Program is defined in the "Provision for JFS-C
Certification Logo Handling".

2.6

Multilateral recognition rules for accreditation activities

JFSM ensures that a certification body that issues certificates accredited by AB who are a member of theInternational Accreditation Forum (IAF), and has signed the International Multilateral Recognition Regulation(MLA) based on this JFS-C standard and Program. Also, an accreditation body that provides the certification
under this Program shall fulfill the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011 and the additional requirements listed in
section 4.2 below, be a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), and is a signatory to the IAF
International Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MLA; Level 4: ISO/TS 22003:2013).

2.7

Accreditation scope (target sectors)

JFSM stipulates that the scope of the certification body's accreditation required by this JFS-C standard and theProgram covers the C and K sectors as shown in section 1.5.

2.8Standard and Program name and version

JFSM ensures that the name of the JFS-C certification program recognized by GFSI and its version number are
included in the scope of accreditation.

2.9

Translation of standard documents

JFSM confirms that the certification bodies have a process to publish audit reports in English, the officialtranslation language, or in the language required by the organization.

2.10 Business quality management system
JFSM establishes and implements a business quality management system related to its activities as a CPO, andmaintains the system.

2.11 JFSM activity report
JFSM prepares its own activity report once a year and sends it to the members of the Stakeholder Committee,
contracted accreditation bodies and contracted certification bodies.
Additionally, an activity report based on the requirements of GFSI will be sent to GFSI.

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3. Development and revision of JFS-C standard documents andoperational integrity
3.1

JFS-C standard document development and revision process

1) The JFSM Secretariat prepares a draft of the standard document. During the preparation of the draft, theSecretariat obtains the cooperation of a working group if necessary.
2) The Secretariat publishes the draft of the standard document on the JFSM website and makes it available
for public comment for at least 2 weeks.
3) The Secretariat establishes a forum for discussing the draft standard document under development with
the Stakeholder Committee.
4) The Board Chairman consults with the Stakeholder Committee on the draft standard document that has
taken into account the comments in 2), and hears the opinions of the Stakeholder Committee.
5) The Secretariat takes into account the public comments in 2) and the opinions of the Stakeholder Committee
in 3) and reflects them in the draft of the standard document. At that time, the Secretariat will receive thecooperation of the working groups as necessary.
6) The Secretariat prepares the final draft of the standard document, taking into account the opinions in 5).
7) The final draft of the standard document is enforced by the approval of the Board of Directors.
8) The Secretariat publishes the document prepared with the approval of the Board of Directors, translates it
appropriately into English, and submits it to GFSI.
9) The Secretariat publishes the approved standard document on the JFSM website.
10) The Secretariat informs the GFSI and the contracted accreditation bodies and certification bodies of therevisions without delay, and ensures that the accreditation bodies and certification bodies correspond to therevisions decided by JFSM within the time frame specified by JFSM.
11) The Secretariat publishes a list of active certification bodies along with the scope of certification.
12) JFSM notifies the certification bodies of information related to the Program and the development status.
This notification includes revisions to the Program.
13) JFSM publishes guidance and requirements regarding version transition for the certification bodies whena new version of the Program takes effect. The information includes the following elements.
- Terms of the transition period from the old version to the new version- Clearly defined transition period- Comparison of information in the old version and new version- Lead time for the certification bodies to share information with all auditors and certified organizations

3.2

Operation and integrity of this Program

3.2.1 JFSM engages in regular exchanges and communication with the contracted accreditation bodies(Harmonization Meetings of the CPO, ABs and CBs) and ensures that the accredited certification bodies areaccredited in accordance with ISO/IEC 17021, ISO/TS 22003 and IAF MD4.
3.2.2 When operating this Program, JFSM requires that all certification bodies conducting certification
activities obtain ISO/IEC 17021, ISO/TS 22003 and IAF MD4 accreditation and conclude a compulsory contract
regarding their applicable certification activities.
6

3.2.3 JFSM holds a JFS-C Certification Program Harmonization Meeting with the accreditation bodies andcertification bodies at least once a year. The objectives of the Harmonization Meeting are to:1) ensure the consistency of audits and certification processes of this Program,
2) hear opinions on the management of this Program and JFS related documents,
3) exchange technical information on the competence of auditors4) hold a workshop for improving the competence of auditors.

3.3

Review of operational status of this Program

JFSM reviews the operational status of the Program at least once a year by conducting internal audits andmanagement reviews, and revises the Program as necessary. The review ensures that the standards of theProgram are current and take into account any opinions, questions and complaints raised by stakeholders.
JFSM documents the results of the review and any action taken.

3.4

Regulations for the Stakeholder Committee

3.4.1 The Stakeholder Committee is an advisory body that independently provides advice from the viewpointof expert advice and the stakeholders in response to consultation requests from the Board of Directors or the
Board Chairman.
3.4.2 The Stakeholder Committee consists of the following members, which are appointed and dismissed by
the Chairperson with the approval of the Board of Directors.
1) Representative(s) of food and food ingredient manufacturing industry
2) Representative(s) of the distribution industry
3) Representative(s) of consumers
4) Representative(s) of certification bodies and accreditation bodies
5) Food safety expert(s)6) Expert(s) on specific issues (technical experts and/or representative(s) of relevant business operators inspecific sectors or subsectors, if necessary)
3.4.3 The Stakeholder Committee shall maintain records of its meetings and provide a written response to
consultation requests from the Board of Directors or the Board Chairman.
3.4.4 The operation of the Stakeholder Committee is defined in the "Stakeholder Committee Operating
Regulations".

3.5

Response to opinions, questions and complaints from stakeholders

3.5.1 JFSM separately stipulates the “Objection Processing Regulations” and establishes a contact point toreceive opinions, questions, objections, and complaints from stakeholders such as certified organizations,certification bodies, accreditation bodies, JFSM members, the government, and consumers regarding theoperation of this Program, the content of JFS-related documents, the interpretation of requirements, etc.
3.5.2 The Secretariat responds to complaints and other inquiries received by JFSM in accordance with theestablished procedures and reports the results of its analysis of the responses to the Board of Directors atleast once a year. Handling of complaints is stipulated in the "Complaint Handling Regulations".
7

3.6

Development and implementation of Integrity Program

3.6.1 JFSM establishes and implements an Integrity Program to demonstrate that the certification bodies
conform to the requirements of the Certification Program and manage their activities effectively.
3.6.2 JFSM notifies the certification bodies at least once a year about the results of the Integrity Program.
3.6.3 JFSM implements a risk-based assessment program when conducting a desktop review of certificationbody audit activities.
3.6.4 JFSM implements a risk-based certification body office audit program that focuses on theimplementation of the Certification Program requirements by the certification bodies.
3.6.5 JFSM defines key performance indicators (KPIs) for certification body activities in the results of desktop
reviews and office audits performed on certification bodies.
3.6.6 The Integrity Program for certification bodies includes the following surveillance activities:
1) Evaluation of certification activity using the JFSM database
Check whether the audit duration in the audit information entered in the database are appropriate.
2) Regular examinations of certification body offices
3) Monitoring of audit reports
The details of the above surveillance activities are described in "Provision for Surveillance Activities for
Certification Bodies Regarding JFS-C Certification Program."
3.6.7 When the results of the activities of the Integrity Program determine that a certification body does notconform to the requirements of this Program (and suspension or withdrawal is indicated), JFSM provides suchinformation to the certification body.
3.6.8 JFSM carries out the desktop reviews, office audits of certification bodies, evaluation of certification
operations through entries in the database, and monitoring of audit reports as described in 3.6.1-3.6.7 as partof its integrity program in surveillance activities. Each program will be a risk-based assessment and risk-based
factors are summarized in Annex 4. Details of the implementation of the integrity program are set out in the"Rules on surveillance activities for certification bodies in relation to JFS-C certification program documents".

3.7

Certification body accreditation criteria

JFSM ensures that the accreditation criteria applied when accrediting a certification body by an accreditationbody are consistent among the accreditation bodies and that they are uniform in the accreditation contracts
concluded with the certification body.

3.8

Scope of certification body accreditation

3.8.1 JFSM is in agreement on the process to be conducted by an accreditation body as a certification body
expands the scope of its certification activities based on Clause 2.7,
3.8.2 When a certification body is applying to an accreditation body to extend the scope of its accreditation,
the certification body shall inform JFSM, which is the certification program owner.
3.8.3 When the scope of certification services provided by a certification body includes services outside thescope of its accredited sectors and/or subsectors, JFSM will confirm whether the certification bodyconsistently publishes and recognizes the scope of the sectors and/or subsectors to which the certificationbody is accredited.
8

3.9

Data management for Program operation

JFSM has a clearly specified data management system that is used to maintain data for effective management
and operation of the Program. This data management system is composed of information that is included onfour forms submitted by the certification body (“C certification body registration form”, “C auditor registrationform”, “C certified organization information registration form”, and “C detailed audit information registrationform”).
The data management system also includes the following items related to the GFSI Benchmarking
Requirements and annual assessments.
・Number of valid certificates・Number of certificates issued during the specified period
・Number of qualified auditors
・Number of suspended certifications
・Number of revoked certifications
JFSM registers information on the competence, education, experience and scope of activities of the auditors,
and the certification bodies to which they belong, and keeps this information updated.

3.10 Confirmation of certificate authenticity
In order to ensure that the content of a certificate issued by a certification body is accurate, JFSM confirms
the information registered in the database, notifies the certification body of the approval decision of theSecretary-General, and after taking necessary measures, authenticates the process by which the certificationbody issues a certificate.

3.11 Switching the GFSI recognized certification program
The switch from other GFSI recognized certification program is acceptable only if the scope of JFS-C standard
is equivalent to current certified scope when certified organization is willing to switch to our standard and theequivalence of both scopes of certifications, audit reports including the previous unannounced audit and audit
histories are minimum requirements defined by JFSM. Certification bodies shall decide on the validation andapproval of the switching and ensure that JFSM is notified of its approval rationale.

3.12 Requirements for ICT-based remote audits
3.12.1 For performing remote audits using ICT in the operation of this Program, JFSM separately stipulates therequirements allowing remote audits and the requirements to be confirmed in on-site audits in the "Provision
for Remote Audit". Verification of all work in the manufacturing processes operated by the auditedorganization is required to be performed by an on-site audit based on the food safety management system(including HACCP).
3.12.2 To ensure the efficiency and completeness of an audit, even if JFSM must unavoidably perform an ICTbased remote audit, the entire period of the audit consisting of both the remote audit and the on-site audit
shall be within 30 days in principle.
3.12.3 In the event that JFSM is required to perform a remote audit using ICT in the operation of this Program,to ensure the efficiency and completeness of the audit if the overall audit duration as specified in section
3.12.2 exceeds 30 days, operation requires the establishment of a process to set a risk assessment for theextension of the entire audit period and an extension deadline according to the result.

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4.

Requirements for accreditation bodies

4.1

Requirements for accreditation bodies

4.1.1 Accreditation bodies that accredit certification bodies under this Program shall meet the requirementsof ISO/IEC 17011:2017 and the additional requirements listed in section 4.2 below, and be a member of theInternational Accreditation Forum (IAF). Accreditation bodies shall also be signatories to the International
Multilateral Recognition Regulation (MLA) (Level 4: ISO/TS 22003:2013).
4.1.2 Accreditation bodies shall report the status of a disposition to JFSM when the disposition suspends or
revokes the accreditation of a certification body.
4.1.3 Accreditation bodies shall mutually recognize the equivalence of certifications based on the JFS-C
standard with other accreditation bodies that are contracted with JFSM.

4.2 Additional requirements for ISO/IEC 17011:2017
Accreditation bodies shall conform to the following requirements in addition to ISO/IEC 17011 (2017).
4.2.1 JFSM stipulates the following requirements for conformity assessment bodies: ISO/IEC17011:2017.
1) Application for accreditation [7.2]
Accreditation bodies shall inform JFSM when a certification body submits an application for accreditation
under this Program.
2) Information requirements [8.1, 8.2]
① Accreditation bodies shall conclude a confidentiality agreement with JFSM. The confidentiality agreement
shall state that the information shared between the accreditation body and JFSM shall not be disclosed to any
third parties.
② Accreditation bodies shall share information on problems related to this Program with JFSM. Accreditation
bodies shall provide the information to JFSM as soon as the information regarding the problem with theProgram is confirmed, and when the information is related to complaints or serious nonconformities,
accreditation bodies shall be responsible for following up on corrective actions.
③ Accreditation bodies shall report to JFSM the following information a) to c) without delay and theinformation d) when requested by the association.
a) Suspension, withdrawal of accreditation, reduction of sector accreditationb) Complaints that could compromise the accreditation statusc) Significant nonconformities (nonconformities that may affect the validity of accreditation)d) Information on the accreditation assessment conducted for the certification body
④ JFSM will provide the following information to accreditation bodies.
a) Information on certification bodies acquired by JFSM through the Integrity Program described in section
3.6 in this document.
b) Information regarding changes to this Program and related documentation.
c) Other information necessary for certification assessment (including complaints about certification bodies)
3) Organizational requirements [5]10Accreditation bodies shall appoint one person with authority who is responsible for this Program and notify
JFSM.
4) Complaint handling [7.12]
Accreditation bodies shall consult with JFSM directly if any problems or questions arise during theaccreditation process.
When possible, accreditation bodies shall investigate and take measures within 30 days of any complaint
related to this Program. In the case of a complaint that affects accreditation and/or certification under thisProgram, accreditation bodies shall immediately notify JFSM and take the appropriate action.
5) Appropriate communication
Accreditation bodies shall establish an appropriate means of contact with JFSM for effective communication.
6) Partnerships for maintaining integrity
In order to maintain the integrity of this Program, JFSM may participate as an observer in the accreditationcommittee related to the certification work of this Program, as an observer in the office audits of thecertification bodies conducted by accreditation bodies, and witness accreditation assessments oforganizations.
If an accreditation body has considered a complaint or objection related to this Program, the accreditationbody shall report the results of that consideration to JFSM without delay.
JFSM may conduct surveys of accreditation bodies as needed, such as when there are complaints about theaccreditation work.
7) Resource reviews [7.3]
When the requirements stipulated in this Program are changed or revised, accreditation bodies shallcooperate with JFSM to establish an appropriate review process for the certification bodies, and confirm theconformity of the certification bodies with regard to the additions and/or changes of the requirements related
to accreditation.
8) Record management [9.4]Accreditation bodies shall retain records relevant to this Program and have the records be readily accessible
for at least five years.
9) Internal audits [9.7]
Accreditation bodies shall include their own accreditation activities based on this Program into the scope of
their internal audits.
10) Competence of personnel [6.1]① All personnel engaged in the accreditation activity of this Program shall have proper knowledge of thisProgram, related documents and food safety.
② Accreditation bodies shall ensure that the team performing assessments includes personnel who havesuccessfully completed the training of this Program and Codex HACCP training courses provided by atraining organization, and one of the team members shall have at least two years of experience in the foodsector.
③ The team responsible for office audits or on-site audits shall be staffed with personnel who haveexpertise in this Program and the related Standard documents. Accreditation bodies shall maintain records
11

of the training related to this Program that is given to auditors, and to technical experts, when appropriate.
Accreditation bodies shall document information about auditors and technical experts in accordance withthe requirements in this section.
11) Items related to accreditation activities [7.1]① Documents applicable to accreditation
Accreditation bodies shall apply the requirements for certification bodies under this document as well as
the requirements for certification bodies issued by JFSM as documents or guidelines applicable toaccreditation.
② Outsourcing of assessment work [6.4]
If an accreditation body outsources an accreditation assessment to a third party, or if the work is further
subcontracted, the requirements of this Program shall be applied for the accreditation assessment.
Outsourced or subcontracted accreditation bodies shall be signatories of the IAF International Multilateral
Recognition Agreement (IAF MLA), have ISO 22000 approval, and the personnel involved in theaccreditation process shall meet the requirements stipulated in section 4.7 of this document.
③ Preparation for assessment [7.4]a) Accreditation bodies shall provide the requirements set forth in this document to the assessmentteam.
b) Accreditation bodies shall conduct assessments taking into account the information on certification
bodies obtained from JFSM based on 4.22) ④ of this document. When there are complaints aboutcertification bodies, accreditation bodies shall verify in the assessment that the complaints have beeneffectively dealt with and appropriate corrective actions have been taken.
c) The “appropriate criteria documents” described in ISO/IEC17011 shall include the criteria for
determining the requirements for certification bodies as stipulated by JFSM.
④ On-site assessments (office assessments and witnessed assessments)
At least one witnessed assessment of the certification body shall be conducted in the initial certification.
For certification bodies that wish to be accredited in more than one sector, sampling levels appropriate forthose sectors shall be set.
12) Reassessment and surveillance [7.11.3, 7.11.5, 7.11.6, 7.11.7]
Office assessments of the certification body shall be conducted once a year. Accreditation bodies shall conduct
witnessed assessments of each certification body at least once a year. Teams conducting witnessed
assessments shall include at least one member who has experience in the food sector and/or subsector
applicable to the organization.
Accreditation bodies shall be reassessed according to ISO/IEC17011 so that their accreditation cycle does notexceed five years. When they have knowledge of issues that could undermine the credibility of the certification
process, accreditation bodies shall take appropriate steps, such as conducting ad hoc assessments as necessary.

13) Extending accreditation [7.10]
If a certification body wishes to extend its scope of activity with respect to a sector defined by JFSM,
accreditation bodies shall, at a minimum, thoroughly scrutinize the documentation that confirms conformity
with the requirements of the certification standard.
1214) Suspension, withdrawal or reduction of accreditation [7.11]
JFSM will notify accreditation bodies when certification bodies do not conform to the requirements of JFSM.
Accreditation bodies shall investigate the issues raised by JFSM and take appropriate action (including
suspension or withdrawal of accreditation, or reduction of the accreditation scope).
15) Accreditation information [7.8]
Accreditation bodies shall ensure that the accreditation certificate or accreditation statement includes theofficial name and version of this Program and applicable sector (and subsectors, if any).
16) Accreditation citations and use of accreditation symbols [4.3]Accreditation bodies shall ensure that ISO/IEC 17011 4.3 is applied in relation with the use of this Program,and that appropriate measures are taken against inaccurate or misleading statements or representations of
the status of accreditation.

13

5.

Requirements for certification bodies

5.1

Fundamental requirements for certification activities

5.1.1 Contract conditions with certification bodies
Certification bodies that perform certification work for this Program shall meet the following prerequisites.
1) After undergoing a preliminary office assessment by JFSM and receiving the approval of the Board of
Directors, certification bodies shall conclude a contract with JFSM to provide certification activities based on
this Program.
2) Certification bodies shall be accredited by accreditation bodies contracted with JFSM based on ISO/IEC
17021, ISO/TS 22003, IAF MD4 and Section 5 (Requirements for certification bodies) of this document.
3) Certification bodies shall conduct certification activities of food safety management systems consistently
and fairly.
4) Certification bodies shall conduct their activities using this entire Program including the scope recognizedby GFSI.
5) Certification bodies shall notify JFSM in a timely manner when there is a change in their owner,administrator, management structure or organization.
6) Certification bodies shall report to JFSM when their accreditation scope is extended.
7) Certification bodies shall immediately report to JFSM when the suspension or withdrawal of theorganization's certification is in progress.
5.1.2 Contract with JFSM
1) Certification bodies shall receive accreditation within one year from the date of the acceptance of theirapplication by an accreditation body.
If a certification body is unable to receive accreditation within one year, or if there is a delay, the certificationbody shall reapply to an accreditation body and submit a written plan to JFSM to obtain accreditation. If thisplan is not valid, JFSM will terminate the contract with the certification body.
2) When a certification body's accreditation is suspended or revoked, the certification body shall report it to
JFSM immediately, and shall allow JFSM and the accreditation body to directly discuss the matter.
5.1.3 Confidentiality
Certification bodies and JFSM shall agree to confidentiality in the above-mentioned contract. Certification
bodies submit information and opinions regarding the operation and functions of this Program to JFSM. At
that time, certification bodies shall appropriately process the information to prevent confidential information
about the organization from leaking to the outside.

5.1.4 Fees
1) Application to begin certification and application fee
Certification bodies shall submit application documents to begin the certification to JFSM, and these
documents will be specified separately. Certification bodies shall pay JFSM a separate application fee when
applying for certification.
2) Annual fee
14

Certification bodies shall pay JFSM an annual fee that is separately set for each business year.
5.1.5 Information disclosure
Certification bodies shall make the following information publicly available. However, regarding 2), thisinformation shall be published on the website operated by the certification body.
1) Corporate information
2) Version of the accredited Program document
3) Scope of accredited sectors and version (sectors outside the accreditation scope shall be disclosed
separately.)4) Evaluation procedures and accreditation processes related to this Program.
5) Certification system including rules and procedures for granting, maintaining, expanding, suspending, andrevoking certification
6) Audit procedures and certification processes related to this Program7) Rights and obligations of applicant and clients (use of the JFS-C certification logo, how the organization
declares its certification)8) Complaint, objection, dispute handling procedures
9) List of all organizations certified under this Program
5.1.6 Quality management system
1) Certification bodies shall operate effective quality management systems. The quality management systemshall be documented and utilized by all relevant personnel of the certification body. Personnel responsible fordeveloping, implementing and maintaining the quality management system shall be appointed within thecertification body. These designated personnel shall be responsible for reporting to the management of thecertification body on the performance of the quality management system and system improvements basedon management reviews.
2) The quality management system shall include, at minimum, the following items.
① Quality policy② Legal status of the certification body (ownership structure, inter-organizational control structure,functional organization chart (inter-organizational control structure shall indicate how each organization isinter-related through the management structure)③ Management of certification processes, including committee structure, roles and procedures④ Management review policy and procedures⑤ Document control procedures⑥ Responsibilities for quality-related operations and functions (including the scope of authority)⑦ Recruiting procedures (selection, initial training, subsequent training and performance assessments ofpersonnel related to certification)⑧ Lists of outsourced contractors involved in certification and the procedures for managing theirassignment and assessment

15

⑨ Procedures for actions against nonconformities, and procedures for confirming the effectiveness ofcorrective and preventive actions⑩ Procedures for the use of certification, and procedures for revoking or suspending certification⑪ Policies and procedures regarding objections, complaints and disputes⑫ Internal audit procedures (including corrective actions against identified nonconformities)
5.1.7 Notification of certificate format
Certification bodies shall notify JFSM regarding the format of the certificate to be issued to certified
organizations before starting the certification. The certificate shall include the following information:1) JFS-C Standard name and its version2) Name and address of the certified organization
3) Sectors and/or subsectors, products, manufacturing processes and manufacturing locations (themanufacturing processes and manufacturing locations shall be specified as necessary)4) Effective date of the certificate
5) Expiration date of certificate
6) Logo marks of JFSM, accreditation body and certification body7) Signature and title of certification body representative8) The phrase "Conformity to the JFS-C Standard (Sector: CI, CII, CIII, CIV/K)" (Requirements for Organizations).
The certificate shall be issued on a manufacturing site basis.
The certificate shall use the template previously submitted to JFSM.
5.1.8 JFS-C certification logo mark handling regulations
Certification bodies shall communicate the regulations for using the JFS-C standard logo mark defined in thisProgram (Provision for JFS-C certification logo mark handling) to the certified organizations to ensure theirconformity.
5.1.9 Communication between JFSM and certification bodies
1) Information submitted by certification bodies to JFSM
① Information on the structure of the certification body
Immediately after concluding a contract with JFSM, certification bodies shall submit information regarding
the structure of the certification body to JFSM by the method specified in ⑤.
When there is a change in the ownership structure of the certification body, management of personnel,
management organization, regulations, etc., the certification body shall submit the information to JFSM by
the deadline and method specified in ⑤.
② Information on auditors
After concluding a contract with JFSM, certification bodies shall immediately submit information aboutauditors to JFSM by the method specified in ⑤. This information includes the qualifications of auditors
engaged in certification, training history, background, and details on the scope of audit activities related tofood. When the information on registered auditors has changed, certification bodies shall submit those16

changes to JFSM by the deadline and method specified in ⑤. Certification bodies shall verify and update
the auditor registration once a year at a minimum.
Certification bodies and auditors shall take the action required by JFSM to enable the competenceassessment of registered auditors as conducted by JFSM.
③ Information on certified organizations
After a certification body certifies an organization, the certification body shall submit the information on
the certified organization to JFSM by the deadline and method specified in ⑤.
④ Audit information
After conducting a certification audit, the certification body shall submit the audit information to JFSM by
the deadline and method specified in ⑤.
⑤ Method and deadline for submitting information
Regarding the information from ① to ④ above, the certification body shall submit the data for thecurrent month by the 15th day of the following month in accordance with the "JFSM database system
operation manual (for certification bodies)". Regarding the information in ① and ② above, certification
bodies shall submit the information to JFSM in the prescribed format.
2) Consultation between JFSM and certification bodies
When a certification body provides certification services that are beyond the scope of accreditation, JFSM willconsult with the certification body to resolve any issues in the certification scope.
When JFSM finds a potential conflict or problem regarding the certification activities that may reduce trust in
JFSM or GFSI, JFSM will consult with the relevant certification body, come to mutual agreement on appropriate
measures, and notify GFSI of the outcome.
5.1.10 Audits of certification bodies and investigation of certified organizations
1) JFSM office audits of certification bodies and assessments of certified organizations
To enable JFSM to conduct audits of certification bodies and investigations of certified organizations, thecertification bodies shall provide the support and information required by JFSM. To enable JFSM investigationsof certified organizations (which may be accompanied by accreditation bodies or certification bodies, or visited
by JFSM alone), the certification bodies shall stipulate this in their contract with JFSM.
2) Certification audits witnessed by accreditation bodies
In section 4.2.1 12) of this Program, audits conducted by each certification body shall be witnessed at least
once a year as surveillance activities by the accreditation bodies, and for this purpose, the certification bodies
shall have the prior agreement of the organizations.
5.1.11 Recommendations to certification bodies
Certification bodies may accept or reject the recommendations made by JFSM to the certification bodies
regarding this Program. If a recommendation from JFSM is not accepted, the certification body shall state thereason and notify JFSM in writing. In this case, JFSM will consider the reason and decide whether to reissue,change or withdraw the recommendation. If the certification body continues to refuse the recommendation,
JFSM will determine its response, which may include excluding the certification body from the use of thisProgram.

17

5.1.12 Harmonization Meeting
Certification bodies shall participate in harmonization meetings. Details on the Harmonization Meetings areprovided in the “Provision for JFS-C Certification Program Operation Harmonization Meeting”.
5.1.13 Changes to this Program
1) Notification of changes of this Program
Certification bodies shall notify the concerned parties (certified organizations, auditors in the certification
body, technical experts, etc.) of changes of this Program (including additions and revisions to various rules
specified by JFSM) when announced by JFSM. In addition, the changes shall be reflected in the procedure
manuals of the certification bodies as necessary.
2) Transition period for revision of requirements
As a general rule, certification bodies shall respond to the changes of this Program within four months after
receiving a notification from JFSM. When the requirements for organizations are changed, the transition
period for conforming to the new requirements will be provided by JFSM each time, except when different
periods are prescribed by laws or regulations.
5.1.14 Sector extension
When a certification body wishes to start certification activities in a new sector of this Program, thecertification body shall conclude a contract with JFSM for certification activities in the sector and be accredited
for the sector by an accreditation body.

5.2

Requirements for certification activities

5.2.1 Conformity assessments of organizations
1) Basis of conformity assessment
Certification bodies shall conduct conformity assessments based on the JFS-C Standard (Sectors: CI, CII, CIII,
CIV/K) (Requirements for Organizations). In addition, certification bodies shall conduct all steps required forconformity assessment to ensure conformity to all the other requirements related to this Program.
The scope of certification shall be defined for the activity and products based on the Annex 3.
2) Tools for conformity assessment
Certification bodies shall have tools that enable them to effectively refer to the requirements to assess
conformity with the JFS-C Standard (Sectors: CI, CII, CIII, CIV/K) (Requirements for Organizations).

18

5.2.2 Implementation of audits
1) Audit program
Audits in this Standard shall be conducted based on the following certification cycle.

Initial audit
Audit cycle (3 years)

First audit: Audit mainly for the development of the food safety management system
Second audit: Audit of operation of the food safety management system* If an organization is determined to be conforming, a certificate valid for a period of three
years will be issued by a certification body.
Surveillance audit (periodic audit): After certification, an annual audit within the valid period is
conducted.
Recertification audit (renewal audit): Audit to continue the three-year cycle for another threeyears２）Certification bodies shall determine the audit frequency and audit duration and prepare an audit plan
according to the following.
① Each site shall be audited at least once a year for each sector and/or subsector to be certified toevaluate all requirements of the Standard.
② The audit frequency shall be decided with consideration for the past audit history, points of conformity
with the Standard, product seasonality, increase in manufacturing capacity, changes to organizational
structure, changes in product technology, and changes in product types.
③ Regardless of the audit frequency of ① and ②, additional surveillance audits shall be performed when
there is evidence or suspicion of nonconformity in the organization.
④ The audit duration shall be decided based on the "Audit duration determination procedure manual" as
specified in Annex 1.
⑤ At least one of the surveillance audits performed up to the recertification audit shall be an
unannounced audit. In addition, the audit report shall clearly indicate that the audit conducted was anunannounced audit.

Audits performed outside the normal cycle include extraordinary audits, additional audits, and repeat
audits.
Extraordinary audit
An audit conducted under conditions such as those in section 5.2.5 of thisdocument. If the result is nonconformity after an audit review, measures such as
temporary suspension or withdrawal of the certification may be taken.
Additional audit

An audit performed on seasonal products and additional products (extension of
product group)19Re-audit

An audit performed as described in section 5.2.2 5) ① a) of this document. When
there are changes that affect the requirements, such as significant changes that
may affect product safety, changes in the management of the organization, etc.
within the valid period of the certification, or when the certification body hasreason to believe that there may be a conformity problem related to thecertification, an extraordinary audit results in a temporary suspension, and this isfollowed by a re-audit. A re- audit is different from a recertification audit.

３）Auditor selection procedure
Certification bodies shall implement procedures for auditor selection, including auditor rotation, such as
no more than six consecutive audits at the same site, in order to maintain the impartiality of the audits.
４） ICT-based remote audits① The requirements allowing remote audits and the requirements to be confirmed in on-site audits thatsatisfy the following items when certification bodies conduct remote certification audits using ICT areseparately stipulated by JFSM in the "Provision for Remote Audit".
② Certification bodies shall plan and conduct audits according to the requirements defined by JFSM thatallow remote audits and the requirements to be confirmed in on-site audits. To maintain the efficiency andcompleteness of audits, at a minimum, on-site audits shall be required for the inspection and physicalverification of good manufacturing practices and verification of all operations in the manufacturing
processes operated by the audited organization based on its food safety management system (including
Codex HACCP).
③ Even if a certification body is unavoidably required to conduct a remote audit using ICT, the certificationbody shall have the agreement of the organization to be audited to conduct the remote audit.
④ Even if a certification body is unavoidably required to conduct a remote audit using ICT, the entire
duration of the audit, consisting of remote audits and on-site audits, shall not exceed 30 days in order toensure the efficiency and completeness of the audit.
⑤ If a remote audit conducted using ICT is unavoidably required and the total duration of the audit
specified in section 5.2.2 of this document exceeds 30 days as described in ④, in order to ensure theefficiency and completeness of the audit, the certification body shall establish a process for a risk
assessment of the extension of the entire period and an extension deadline according to the result. Even
with this process implemented, the entire audit duration as described in section 5.2.2 4) of this document
shall not exceed 90 days.
５） Criteria for conformity assessment① Auditors shall assess conformity or nonconformity using the following four levels:a) Critical nonconformity (a direct impact on food safety or nonconformity with laws and regulations
that could have a serious impact on food safety).
*The result of the audit indicates that conformity to the requirements is not fulfilled, and as a result,the product becomes unsafe and/or the laws and regulations that may seriously affect food safety are
not observed.
b) Major nonconformity (likely to cause a risk to food safety).
*The result of the audit indicates that conformity to the requirements is not fulfilled, and as a result,the product becomes unsafe and/or the risk of food safety may increase.
20c) Minor nonconformity (less likely to affect food safety)*The result of the audit indicates that conformity to the requirements is not fulfilled, but the productdoes not become unsafe, and/or the risk of food safety does not increase.
d) Conformity (requirements are fully satisfied)６） Deadlines for completion of corrective actions and corrections① Critical nonconformity
If an auditor finds a critical nonconformity in an initial audit, the auditor shall suspend the audit, and after
the critical nonconformity is eliminated, the auditor shall conduct another audit. If an auditor finds a criticalnonconformity in a surveillance audit or recertification audit, the certification shall be suspended and theorganization shall be required to complete corrective actions within six months. After the corrective actions
are completed, the auditor shall conduct another audit. Even after the certification deadline has passed,
the certification shall expire if the nonconformity cannot be eliminated. Even after the renewal deadline
has passed, if the corrective action has been completed within the corrective action deadline and thecertification body determines in a renewal audit that the organization is in conformity, the certification canbe restored. If the certification is restored in such a case, the valid period of the certification shall be three
years from the original renewal deadline.
② Major nonconformity
When a major nonconformity is found in an audit, the auditor shall request the organization to implement
correction and corrective action as soon as possible, and, in principle, confirm the completion of thecorrective action within 30 days.
③ Minor nonconformity
When a minor nonconformity is found in an audit, the auditor shall request the organization to takecorrection and establish corrective action plan, and to submit those relevant evidences. Within 30 days
from the end of the audit, those completion of correction and efficacy of corrective action plan shall beverified and approved when acceptable. The completion and effectiveness of the corrective action shall be
evaluated in the next scheduled audit.
７） Confirmation of corrective actions
Certification bodies shall obtain corrective action plans and evidence of implemented corrective actions fromorganizations for nonconformities found in the audit to verify that the organization fully conforms to therequirements of the Standard. Verification of the corrective action plan shall be performed not only by theaudit team, but also by personnel who are competent in the technical elements that have not fulfilled therequirements.
When confirming that corrective actions have been taken, submitted documents such as updated procedures,
records, and photographs shall be inspected, and as required, additional on-site audits or verification ofevidence submitted using ICT shall be conducted.
5.2.3 Audit Reports
1) Preparation of audit reports① The audit report is a record to prove that the auditor has properly conducted the audit and determinedthe conformity of the organization. The certification body shall have a clear structure for the preparationand production of the audit report. The certification body shall prepare the audit report in accordance with21

this structure and deliver it to the organization within two weeks after the certification decision or decision
to continue certification.
The audit report shall include the following:a) Details of audit durationb) Summary of assessment resultsc) FSM/HACCP/GMP section summaryd) Individual evaluation results for all requirements (conformity/nonconformity)e) Details of nonconformity and basis of judgmentf) Notable examples of good practicesg) Type of audit (announced or unannounced)h) Details required in ISO/IEC 17021 9.4.8② Certification bodies shall handle audit reports as confidential information. The audited organization has
the authority to determine whether its audit report may be provided or disclosed to third parties. In
principle, certification bodies shall obtain written consent from the audited organization before providing
or disclosing the audit report to a third party.
③ The audit report and other documents related to the audit shall be provided to JFSM or disclosed to
the GFSI benchmarking team to prove that the auditor properly performed the audit in accordance withthe requirements. Certification bodies shall provide written consent from the audited organization inadvance before disclosing the audit report and other documents related to the audit to JFSM and the GFSI
benchmarking teams for the purpose of implementing the JFSM reliability maintenance program or forauditing by the GFSI.
2) Review of audit reports
Certification bodies shall conduct a thorough technical review of the audit reports prior to deciding to approve,suspend, revoke or renew the certification. To review effectively, the certification body shall ensure that:① the reviewers are impartial, have the ability to technically understand the content of the audit report,
and are able to demonstrate that the audit report conforms to the Program,② the audit was conducted by an appropriately qualified auditor, and that all applicable requirements ofthe program can be explained by relevant records that were created during the audit,③ the report covers the scope applied for the organization, and evidence that the audit fully covers that
scope,④ nonconformities have been reliably identified, and that effective corrective actions have been taken to
resolve those nonconformities.
5.2.4 Registration of certified organizations
After making a decision on the certification of an organization or making changes to the certification, thecertification body shall submit the information on the certified organization to JFSM by the 15th of the monthfollowing the month in which the certification decision or change was made.
Certification bodies and certified organizations shall be in agreement that the following information will bemade public by JFSM:
221) Name and address of certified organization (in English)2) Sectors or subsectors, products, manufacturing processes and manufacturing locations (whenmanufacturing processes and manufacturing locations need to be specified)3) Effective date of the certificate
4) Expiration date of the certification
5) Certification status (e.g., suspension or withdrawal, and the date; only if applicable)
5.2.5 Notification of information that affects an organization's certification status
Certification bodies shall make arrangements with certified organizations so that the certification bodies andJFSM are notified if the organization is involved in a serious food safety incident, such as product safety orlegal obligations, or if a recall of an organization's product occurs. The organization shall make the notification
upon completing the initial response to these matters at the latest, Certification bodies shall immediately
report the certification status of such organizations to JFSM.
Certification bodies shall take appropriate measures such as extraordinary audits to confirm the relationshipbetween the status of the organization and the certification and appropriate action such as suspension of thecertification. Certification bodies shall promptly report the status of such organizations to JFSM. Certification
bodies shall have procedures in place to ensure the integrity of the certification after receiving such a
notification.
When there are changes that affect the requirements, such as significant changes that may affect productsafety, changes in the management of the organization, or when the certification body has reason to believethat there may be a conformity problem related to the certification, the certification body shall reassess theorganization and audit its conformity.
5.2.6 Registration fees of certified organizations
In the contract signed with certified organizations, certification bodies shall clearly state that the annual
registration fee JFSM charges to the certified organizations is payable to JFSM via the certification bodies. (Theamount and payment method of this annual registration fee will be determined separately by JFSM.)
5.2.7 Change and transfer of certification bodies
Certified organizations can change their certification bodies if the following conditions are met. For the newcertification body that is the change destination (the receiving destination), the following items shall be
included in the preliminary assessment for the change and transfer of the certified organization.
1) The period required to switch and transfer the certification body shall be agreed upon by both the current
and new certification bodies, and the remaining valid period of the registered certification shall be the agreed
period or longer.
2) The completion of the corrective actions shall have been confirmed by the current certification body in the
final surveillance audit.
3) The reason for changing the certification body shall be recognized by the new certification body. Also, there
shall be a record of the reason for the change.

234) The scope of certification of the new certification body shall include the food sector classification of thecertified organization.
5) The audit report on the certified organization prepared by the current certification body shall be reviewed
by the new certification body.
6) The certified organization shall agree on the certification cycle of the new certification body after thetransfer.
7) The new certification body shall notify JFSM that the above requirements have been met and that it accepts
the transfer of the certified organization.

24

6.

Requirements for personnel and auditors

6.1 Requirements for personnel
6.1.1 Personnel competence1) Certification bodies shall assign personnel with the necessary competence in management, administration,technical affairs, and auditing work within the organization.
2) Regardless of the scope of accreditation, certification bodies shall have systems and procedures in place toensure that personnel who conduct the certification activities specified in Annex A of ISO/IEC 17021 and Annex
C of ISO/TS 22003 have the competencies described in these Annexes and that the requirements specified by
JFSM are met.
6.1.2 Retention and management of personnel records
The certification bodies shall maintain records on the qualifications, training, and experience of all personnel
involved in the certification process, and the records shall be clearly dated.
This information shall include at least the following:1) Name and address2) Department and job title in certification body3) Qualifications, education, and work experience as specified in Annex 3.
4) Experience and training in the field of competence for the requirements in this Program5) Auditing and consulting experience (describe, if applicable)
6 Performance assessments of all personnel
6.1.3 Conflicts of interest
Certification bodies shall conclude contracts with all personnel involved in the certification activities, including
the following:1) Compliance with organizational rules, such as confidentiality and independence from business or personal
interests.
2) Declaration of all matters related to personal conflicts of interest.
6.1.4 Notifications to personnel
Certification bodies shall notify the personnel involved in this Program of all relevant requirements (ISO/IEC
17021, ISO/TS 22003 and IAF MD4).

6.2 Requirements for auditors
6.2.1 Auditor competence
Certification bodies shall have systems and procedures in place to ensure that the auditors conducting audits
comply with the competence requirements set forth in ISO/IEC17021, ISO/TS 22003 and IAF MD4, and inparticular the requirements set by JFSM, regardless of their scope of accreditation.
The Systems and procedures should include:251) Maintain records to ensure that each auditor has the required competence for the sector or sub-sector inwhich they are registered.
2) The qualifications, education and work experience of the auditors required for each sector or sub-sector (asspecified in Annex 3)3) The certification body shall re-evaluate the competence of each auditor every three years by attending onsite audits to GFSI recognized certification program.
A witness-assessment on auditor performance by an accreditation body may only be substituted for a witnessassessment on auditor performance by a certification body, only if the report is reviewed and verified as
equivalent by witness-assessor of the certification body.
Witness-assessments shall not be carried out on the following assessment occasions①Extraordinary audit②Additional audit③Re-audit
If there is any doubt about the competence of an auditor, JFSM requests the certification body to provide
evidence to support the competence of the auditor. If the certification body is unable to provide evidence ofthe competence of the auditor for each registered sector or subsector, JFSM deletes the registration of thesector or subsector for which the competence was not recognized.
In addition, certification bodies shall reassess the competence of each auditor every three years in a witnessed
on-site audit under the GFSI recognized certification program.
6.2.2 Auditor practical experience and training
Auditors shall conform to the following requirements:
1) At least two years of practical experience in the quality assurance or food safety section in food production
or manufacturing, retailing, inspection, regulatory body or equivalent industries.
2) Qualifications, training and work experience for each sector or subsector as defined in Annex 3.
6.2.3 Initial registration requirements for auditors
1) Certification bodies shall confirm that auditors wishing to register meet the following requirements prior
to their initial registration.
① Completion of a training course (40 hours, five days, in principle) to acquire auditing skills andknowledge based on a quality management system or food safety management system and knowledge ofrelated laws and regulations.
② Completion of a training course (minimum of two days) or equivalent training to acquire HACCP (Food
Safety Hazard and Risk Assessment) skills and knowledge based on the principles of the Codex
Alimentarius Commission.
③ Completion of the training program specified in ①
2) Certification bodies shall record the training history and achievement assessment that support that each
auditor has completed the required training.
3) Certification bodies shall assess the passing of the GFSI recognized certification program by an assessor prior
to the initial registration of the auditor. Assessment of competency requires at least three audit assessments,
at least one of which shall be an audit witnessed by personnel capable of assessing the competency of auditors.
264) As long as the effectiveness of the witnessed audit is not impaired, the assessment shall be conductedaccording to the standard audit plan agreed upon with the certified organization, including the use of ICT whenapplicable. Part of the audit shall be conducted on-site, and a witnessing auditor shall be present at the site.
6.2.4 Audit performance and assessment program
１）Auditor performance requirements
An initially registered auditor shall conduct at least five on-site audits to the JFS-C standard per year at different
organizations during the first year (from the month of registration to December of that year and one year
thereafter) and annually thereafter.
If the five audits of the JFS-C standard cannot be met, the auditor shall conduct five GFSI-recognizedcertification programs of on-site audits among which at least one audit shall be versus the JFS-C standard (allin different organizations) per year.
２）Assessment program for auditors
Certification bodies shall establish and document a program for assessing the audit skills and knowledge ofregistered auditors from the next fiscal year and after (hereinafter referred to as the assessment program),and assess the personnel based on this assessment program. In addition, certification bodies shall record theresults of these assessments. This assessment program shall include the following 3).
When certification bodies are using ICT to assess the skills of auditors as shown in Annex 2, IAF MD4 shall be
the criteria for the requirements.
３）Re-assessment of auditor competency
At least once a year JFSM confirms whether each registered auditor meets the requirements of 6.2.4, 1) ①
or ② above. If any auditor fails to meet this requirement, JFSM will suspend the registration of that auditor.
To cancel the suspension, the certification body may reapply to JFSM for the registration of the auditor byreassessing the auditor’s competence in accordance with the assessment program for the initial registrationin 6.2.3, 3), and recording and submitting the results of the assessment to JFSM.

6.2.5 Continuing professional development
Certification bodies shall ensure that all auditors have access to information on sector or subsector bestpractices, food safety, the latest developments in technology, relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
Certification bodies shall maintain records on all relevant training received by the auditors.
6.2.6 Auditor training１）Training conducted by trainers① Certification bodies shall ensure that trainers in charge of conducting auditor training in thecertification bodies (hereinafter referred to as "trainers") have completed the training provided by JFSM.
② Trainers shall establish annual training programs based on the training defined above and conduct
the programs for the auditors. The training programs shall include the following.
a) Knowledge of the JFS-C Standard and the JFS-C Certification Programb) Knowledge of revisions of the JFS-C Standard and the JFS-C Certification Program27c) Knowledge of sector-specific or subsector-specific food safety③ Certification bodies shall assess the degree of understanding of auditors who have completed thetraining programs of the relevant institutions defined in ② above by testing, interviews, or other methods.
6.2.7 Extension of auditable sectors or subsectors
In order to extend their auditable sectors or subsectors, auditors shall take a training program similar to theinitial registration requirements for auditors described in 6.2.3 and conduct at least three supervised audits
for the new sectors or subsectors. At least one of these audits shall be a witnessed audit accompanied by anaudit instructor capable of assessing the competency of auditors. The certification body shall assess the resultsof the training and audits, evaluate whether the auditor has the ability to conduct audits in the new sectors or
subsectors, and approve the extension of the audit scope.

6.3 Competence required for technical reviewers
Certification bodies shall ensure below competences of technical reviewers, who review audit reporttechnically, and shall record competencies individually.
1) Competences required by ISO/IEC 17021, ISO/TS22003
2) Competence to review the audit report against the requirements of this standard3) Competence to apply the knowledge of auditors for each sector or sub-sector defined in Annex 2.

6.4 Witness-assessors competence
Certification bodies shall ensure below competences of witness-assessors, who witness onsite audits andevaluate competence of auditors, and shall record competencies individually.
1) competence as required by ISO/IEC 17021, ISO/TS22003
2) competence to assess the assessment against the requirements of this standard3) Competence to apply the knowledge of witness-assessors for each sector or sub-sector defined in Annex 2.

28

Annex 1 (Normative) Calculation of Minimum Audit Duration
Objective: This document specifies the basis for the calculation in determining the audit duration necessary
for the certification audit based on the JFS-C Certification Program document. CBs shall calculate the audit
duration in accordance with this document.
Reference: ISO/TS 22003

1. General
In calculating the audit duration necessary for each site, as required in ISO/TS 22003, clause 9.1.4, the CB shallconsider the minimum on-site audit time for initial certification given in Table1.
The minimum audit time includes stage 1 and stage 2 of the initial certification audit (refer to ISO/TS 22003, clause
9.2.3) but does not include the time for preparation of the audit nor the audit report.
In case a CB conducts an audit against JFS-C standard as well as an audit against ISO 9001 or ISO 22000 as a single
audit, the CB is permitted to adjust an audit duration in order to avoid duplication of audit.
NOTE 1) Related management systems refer to quality management systems or food safety management systems that cover the sameprocesses, products and services.

The minimum audit duration is based on an audit of Food Safety Management System with a single HACCP study. A
HACCP study corresponds to hazard analyses of products and/or a group of services and of similar production
technologies and, if applicable, storage technologies.
The minimum time for on-site audit of the realization of the organization's products and/or services shall be fifty(50) percent of the total minimum audit duration (applied to all types of audits).
NOTE 2) The product and service realization process does not include FSMS development, training, management, audit, review andimprovement.

The number of auditors per audit day shall be determined taking into consideration the effectiveness of the audit,
resources of the organization being audited and those of the CB.
If additional meetings such as review meetings, coordination and audit team briefings are necessary, an increase inaudit duration may be required.
The number of workers involved in any aspect of food safety shall be expressed as the number of equivalent fulltime workers (FTW). When an organization deploys workers in shifts and the products and/or processes are similar,
the FTW number is calculated based on workers on the main shift (including seasonal workers) plus office workers.
The multi-site certification specified in ISO/TS 22003, clause 9.1.5 is not applicable in this Scheme.
If the scope of one specific client organization covers two or more sectors, the audit duration calculation shall bebased on the recommended highest basic audit duration. Additional time is required for each HACCP study (i.e., aminimum of 0.5 audit man-day for each HACCP study).
Other factors may necessitate increasing the audit duration (e.g., number of product types, number of product lines,
product development, number of critical control points, conditions under control of Good Manufacturing Practices(GMP), building area, infrastructure, in-house laboratory testing, need for a translator).

29

2. Calculation of minimum audit duration for initial certification
2.1 The minimum total audit duration (TS) for a single site shall be calculated and expressed in the number of mandays according to the following equation:
TS = (TD+TH+TMS+TFTW) + TGMP
where
TD
is the basic audit duration to conduct an on-site audit;THis the additional audit duration for HACCP studies (added if there are two or more HACCP studies). Add
0.5 man-day to the audit duration for each additional HACCP study. The calculation formula is shown in Table 1.
TMS is the number of audit days for absence of the relevant management system;
TFTW
is the audit duration per number of workers;
TGMP
is the audit duration for GMPs
The minimum audit duration shall be 2 man-days. Table 1 shows the minimum audit duration for certification in
man-days in case of existing relevant management system.

Table 1 : Parameters for calculating audit durations
TD

TH

TFTW

TGMP

TMS

(If applicable)

1.50(Number of
HACCP studies- 1) x 0.5

1 to 19 = 0
20 to 49 = 0.5
50 to 79 = 1.0
80 to 199 = 1.5
200 to 499 = 2.0
500 to 899 = 2.5
900 to 1299 = 3.0
1300 to 1699 = 3.5
1700 to 2999 = 4.0
3000 to 5000 = 4.5> 5000 = 5.0

relevant management
system=0
0.5

no relevant
management
system=0.25

Note 1: TH will be added by 0.5 man-day per additional HACCP study if there are two or more HACCP studies.
Note 2: 0.25 man-day as TMS will be added if there is no relevant management system.

2.2 When part of the processing is conducted in a site other than the main site, 50% of the TS man-days with TGMP
deducted shall be added for the audit of the subsite.

30

3. Calculation of the minimum surveillance and recertification audit duration
The minimum surveillance audit duration shall be at least one-third of subtotal consisting of TD , TH, TMS and TFTW
plus TGMP, with a minimum of two audit man-days. The minimum recertification audit duration shall be at least twothirds of subtotal consisting of TD , TH, TMS and TFTW plus TGMP, with a minimum of two audit man-days.
TGMP shall be 0.5 man-day or more.

4. Deviation from the minimum audit duration
Only If the minimum man-hours for audit is lower than calculated minimum man-hours for audit due tocircumstances such as combined audit, the certification body shall submit the relevant supporting evidence to JFSM
and explain the reason for the lower man-hours for approval.
JFSM shall approve it only when it judges that the validity of man-hours and audit items is ensured by the risk factors
in the integrity program of the audit.

31

Annex 2 (Normative) Competence of auditors, witness assessors andtechnical reviewers in the JFS-C standard
1. Skills and knowledge of auditors, witness assessors and technical reviewers
Task

Knowledge required for auditors, witness assessors
and technical reviewers

Skills required for Auditor

1.1

Knowledge of:

Ability to:Plan and organize work
effectively

 terms and definitions applied to auditing of the
JFS-C Certification Program organize audit timing based on audit duration

 the principles of auditing as outlined in ISO/IEC
17021:2011, ISO 19011:2018 and GFSI scheme
management guidelines
 the objectives and methodology involved in anaudit of the JFS-C Certification Program the key activities involved in a food safety audit
program the roles and responsibilities of auditors, CBs, andauditee personnel
 management of an audit program initiating an audit of the JFS-C Certification
Program the purpose and conduct of a document review
 planning for an on-site audit
 types and forms of management systems andproduct systems, and the usefulness of the JFS-C
Certification Program audits that fit within that
context

 establish initial contact with the auditee
 initiate an audit
 confirm the audit objectives, scope, and criteria
 determine the feasibility of the audit
 plan on-site audit activities including evaluationof the audit criteria, (including specific scheme
criteria), identification of organizational andfunctional units, products, and/or processes to beaudited, and the role and responsibility of theauditor(s) prepare audit plans, checklists, sampling plans,and evidence forms necessary to meet the audit
objectives
 direct and support technical experts (ifapplicable)
 develop the audit report format and distribution
including the storage and confidentiality of audit
reports
 identify auditee contacts and communicate theaudit plan and timetable to the auditee review and/or research the history of the facility

1.2

Knowledge of:

Ability to:

Conduct the audit within theagreed timeframe

 time management tools and techniques within
the context of a site audit

 apply time management tools and techniquesthat identify the individual tasks during the audit
to meet the audit objectives

The timeframe for the auditof the JFS-C Certification
Program is usually set by the
CB. However, the auditor
shall have the knowledge andskills to effectively manage
the time within theestablished timeframe.

 an audit of the JFS-C Certification Program as asystematic, independent, and documented
process for obtaining relevant audit evidence andevaluating it objectively to determine the extent
to which the system criteria are met

 organize audit activities to prioritize matters ofsignificance prepare for the opening meeting, the audit, andthe closing meeting outline and direct the involvement of technicalexperts (if applicable) and auditee contacts within
the timetable of audit duration
 allow time for audit team meetings (if applicable),auditee contact, evidence consolidation andreport writing in the timetable of audit durationand to keep others involved on timetable identify
strategies to deal with distractions, deviations
from the planned evidence path, and/or time
wasting without compromising the audit
objectives
 conduct an entry meeting that meets the meeting32

objectives within the scheduled time frame conduct the audit according to the agreed
timetable
 conduct an exit meeting that meets theobjectives within the scheduled time frame agree the timetable for corrective actions andfollow-up activities dependent on the risk ofnonconformance recognize where changes to the audit scheduleare needed

1.3

Knowledge of:

Ability to:

Communicate with auditee
personnel at all levels

 interpersonal skills

 apply interpersonal and negotiating skills in thecontext of an audit of the JFS-C Certification
Program negotiation techniques language, religious, and cultural sensitivities effective verbal and non-verbal communication
strategies
 the vocabulary of food safety regulations,standard requirements, industry standards andtechnical papers, including microbiological terms
and names, and chemical terms and names
appropriate to a given industry sector
 objection management techniques conflict management
 separation of auditing from consulting
 self-awareness of professional and technicallimitations

 explain the purpose, scope, and methodology of
the audit
 establish a working relationship with the auditeethat supports the intent and objectives of thefood safety audit
 communicate with all operational levels in theauditee food business that considers linguistic
and technical skills, and the social customs within
the business talk to senior management and establish theirlevel of commitment to the JFS-C Certification
Program maintain objectivity during the audit process assess non-verbal communications
 discuss audit findings openly and honestly withauditee personnel, without error or omission
 explain technical findings at the appropriate
management level within the auditeeorganization
 present audit findings to auditee andmanagement clearly, concisely, and objectively,
citing the evidence of nonconformance
 resolve areas of potential conflict with auditee
management, within the context of the audit
objectives
 maintain auditee confidentiality
 discuss the audit findings with only the agreed
auditee personnel and/or audit client (Ifappropriate) maintain composure, and avoid arrogance, anger,or other negative behaviors
 cite the evidence for nonconformities
 identify and communicate issues without offeringsolution

1.4

Knowledge of:

Ability to:Collect evidence byconducting interviews

 interview and questioning styles and techniques select and interview appropriate staff at all levels
within the auditee business to acquire valid audit33 effective listening techniques

evidence

 understanding of non-verbal communications,personal expression, and body language

 use appropriate questioning techniques

1.5

Knowledge of:

Ability to:Collect evidence byobservation and inquiry observation techniques identify and prioritize audit activities in thecontext of the JFS-C Certification Program andfood safety risk

 verbal and non-verbal behaviors
 techniques in use to detect or eliminate foodsafety hazards
 statistical sampling techniques
 focused (targeted) sampling (i.e., the concept thatsampling will not necessarily be totally random
and there will not always be time to take astatistically valid sample)
 Understanding of each JFS-C requirement(requirements)

 listen to responses, and confirm responses

 identify and evaluate the application oftechnology for a given purpose
 observe and analyze personal behavior andcompare to written position descriptions
 identify problems or areas of concern andinvestigate to an acceptable level to establish
conformity or nonconformity
 apply appropriate sampling techniques todocument and record review
 adapt or modify sampling based on findings
 collecting evidence of conformity in each section(requirements)
 skills that can verify the conformity of therequirements described in each section byobservation and reviewing

1.6

Knowledge of:

Ability to:Collect evidence by review of
documentation and records

 vocabulary and language of food safety auditing establish the appropriate quantum of relevant,valid data to be reviewed to form a conclusion

 the principles and elements of the JFS-C
Certification Program Understanding of each JFS-C requirement(requirements)

 read, interpret, and analyze documents andrecords
 contextualize (i.e., relate the realities of theorganization to the requirements of the standard) collecting evidence of conformity in each section(requirements)
 skills that can verify the conformity of therequirements described in each section byobservation and reviewing

1.7
Analyze, verify, andconsolidate audit evidence
and generate findings

As per 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, plus the following additional
knowledge requirements:
Knowledge of: data analysis techniques consolidation of data into meaningful evidence identification of nonconformities throughobjective evidence specifications of nonconformities andrequirements for corrective action for the JFS-C
Certification Program Understanding of each JFS-C requirement(requirements)
 summarizing the evidence demonstrating
conformance of the audited organization in eachsection of the audit report and a brief descriptionof the observation

34

Ability to: interpret and summarize auditee documentation,technical standards and regulations relating tofood safety and good management practice confirm the sufficiency and appropriateness ofaudit evidence in the context of the requirements
and the organization’s food safety management
system verify the accuracy of acquired information
 accurately record audit evidence as it is collected consolidate audit evidence into findings thatmeet the objectives of the audit and theconformity level of the auditee
 prepare levels of non-conformance (whereapplicable) prepare non-conformance reports (whereappropriate) that accurately explain the objective
evidence (i.e., what was wrong with the system),the level of criticality of the non-conformance,
the reference to the specific clause of thestandard, and the explanation
 verbally communicate non-conformances as they
are observed and at closing meeting without
offering solution
 skills to explain each clause with conforming
evidence
 skills to summarize evidence demonstrating thesuitability of each section
 Skills to write a brief explanation about
observation
 skills that can verify the conformity of therequirements described in each section byreviewing materials and records.
1.8

Knowledge of:

Ability to:

Prepare written audit reports,
follow-up, and conclusions

 written communication techniques prepare audit conclusions that identify strengths,
opportunities for improvement, andnonconformities

 knowledge of methods to identify strength aswell as nonconformities and opportunities for
improvement
 negotiation techniques prepare written audit reports that are concise
and accurately present the audit findings

 scheme standard and audit template produce written documents that are easily
understood by the intended audience andcommunicate effectively the actual conditions tosomeone who was not present during the audit

 audit template and reporting requirements for
the JFS-C Certification Program review and confirm the accuracy of written audit
reports

 appropriate corrective actions for identified
nonconformities

 provide written confirmation of follow-up
assessment of corrective actions

 CB reporting requirements

 determine the adequacy of corrective actions
proposed or taken by the auditee technical terms and definitions for a given
industry sector

 conduct follow-up activities according to theagreed timetable evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions
taken by the auditee
 conduct post-audit review, and measure theeffectiveness of the audit duration and its impact
on the audit objectives35

2. Technical Skills and Knowledge required for audit or assessment on JFS-C
2.1 Food Safety Management (FSM) Requirements
Tasks

Knowledge required for auditors, witness
assessors and technical reviewers

Skills required for Auditor

FSM 1
Top
Management
Responsibility

HACCP knowledge requirements, plus knowledge of:

HACCP skills requirements, plus the ability to:・organizational structures and the inter-relationshipof job functions
・regulatory and legal requirements related toorganizational structure and location
・the key elements of food safety management system
for a given industry sector
・a generic process approach to management
・Plan/Do/Check/Act (PDCA), the principles ofcontinuous improvement as applied to food safety
management and for appropriate industry sector
・applicable food safety regulations for a given
industry sector
・food safety principles

・assess the effective implementation of documented job
functions・relate the observed job functions back to the
documented organizational structure and position
descriptions
・review and interpret key performance indicators andfood safety measures・contextualize (i.e. relate the way the organization has
defined its processes as compared with therequirements of the standard)・analyze the organization’s definition of the
management processes needed for the food safety
management system・assess the sequence and interaction of these processes
・determine the criteria and methods required to ensure
the effective operation and control of these processes
・assess the availability of information and procedures
necessary to support the operation and monitoring ofthese processes
・assess the measurement and analysis of theseprocesses
・assess the actions necessary to achieve planned results
and continuous improvement

FSM 2
Top
Management
Commitment
and Food
Safety Culture

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・corporate governance, and the role of senior
management in leading a food safety management
system・the legal responsibility for management with regard
to food safety
・food safety objectives and key performanceindicators (KPIs) in the context of the overall businessperformance・access and communicate with senior management
・assess the commitment of facility management to theimplementation and maintenance of food safety
practices
・assess the food safety objectives and key performanceindicators (KPIs) in the context of the overall businessperformance・review and interpret organizational performancemeasures and in particular food safety measures
・analyze and assess the involvement of senior
management in reviewing the food safety management
system・read and interpret records, including meeting minutes
・effectively communicate the lack of management
commitment with senior management
・document the lack of management commitment in theaudit reports
・Identify deficiencies, trends that demonstrate a lack ofmanagement commitment to the food safety system,
including but not limited to the following areas: training,facility maintenance and equipment, resources,
monitoring, GMP, operations, essential programs,
HACCP, continuous improvement.
Example:Cross-compare the lack of resources provided by senior
management with the systemic deficiencies of the
training program
Effectively discuss her lack of management commitment

36

FSM 3
Management
Review

Knowledge requirements under FSM 2 Top
Management Commitment and Food Safety Culture,plus knowledge of:with senior management
Document the lack of management commitment in theaudit report
Skills requirements under FSM 2 Top Management
Commitment and Food Safety Culture, plus the ability to:・management system review procedures, including
knowledge of scope, input/output frequency,
implementation strategy, organizational structure andinter-relationship between positions within the
structure・assess the management system review process・identify gaps in the management review process

FSM 4
Compliancewith food safety
laws

HACCP knowledge requirements, plus knowledge of:

HACCP skills requirements, plus the ability to:・current industry trends and emerging issues for agiven industry sector
・applicable knowledge food safety regulations for agiven industry sector
・food safety principles
・applicable food safety regulations for a given
industry sector
・documented food safety management system
requirements for a given industry sector
・appropriate techniques for managing documentation
・document control systems

・contextualize (i.e. relate the way the organization has
defined its processes as compared with therequirements of the standard)・analyze the organization’s definition of the
management processes needed for the food safety
management system・assess the sequence and interaction of these processes
・determine the criteria and methods required to ensure
the effective operation and control of these processes
・assess the availability of information and procedures
necessary to support the operation and monitoring ofthese processes
・assess the measurement and analysis of theseprocesses
・assess the actions necessary to achieve planned results
and continuous improvement

FSM 5
Food Safety
Management
System andGeneralRequirements

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・the key elements of food safety management system
for a given industry sector
・a generic process approach to management
・Plan/Do/Check/Act (PDCA), the principles ofcontinuous improvement as applied to food safety
・management and for appropriate industry sector
・Food safety laws and regulations applicable to agiven industry sector
・the requirements of a documented food safety
management system for a given industry sector
・appropriate technologies to manage documentation
・document control systems
・current industry trends and emerging issues for agiven industry sector

FSM 6
Food Safety

Knowledge of:・contextualize (i.e. relate the way the organization has
defined its processes as compared with therequirements of the standard)・analyze the organization’s definition of the
management processes needed for the food safety
management system・assess the sequence and interaction of these processes
・determine the criteria and methods required to ensure
the effective operation and control of these processes
・determining the standards and methods necessary tomaintain process operation and monitoring・evaluate the provision of information and procedures
necessary to maintain process operation and monitoring・evaluate process measurement and analysis
・evaluate actions needed to achieve expected results
and continue to improve・evaluate the adequacy, comprehensiveness, andpenetration of food safety manuals in a given
industry sector
・evaluate the coverage of the facility's food safety
manuals in the supply chain・assess the effective dissemination of food safety
documentation at a facility
・evaluate if work instructions are aligned with thefood safety manual・evaluate the implementation of the food safety manual
Ability to:37

Policy and
Goals

FSM 7
Food Defense

FSM 9.1
Documentation
procedures

FSM 9.2
Control andstorage of
documented
information

FSM 10Specification
Control ofPurchased orProvided Items
and Services

FSM 11
Procedures andInstructions

FSM 12
Resource
Management

・the purpose, objectives, content and application of afood safety policy as defined by the JFS -C Certification
Scheme・assess the effectiveness and implementation of a foodsafety policy and its inter-relationship with the
documented food safety management system within thecontext of the organization

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・regulations and/or industry codes of practice
governing food defense, food protection, foodsecurity, bioterrorism or sabotage
・food defense risk management methodologies
・food defense protocols applicable to particularcountries, jurisdictions, and industry sector・typical food defense situations・assess the effectiveness and application of the risk
management process used to determine food defense
risk・assess the effectiveness, communication, andapplication of food defense procedures・review and analyze records of food defense activities
・identify gaps in food defense procedures

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・the requirements of food safety record retention fora given industry sector
・record security protocols

・evaluate the document and record control processes
that are in place・evaluate the security and storage of documents andrecords
・identify gaps in available documentation

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・regulatory, standard and customer requirements for
document control and record retention
・the requirements for food safety documentation in
the context of process management, language andliteracy levels
Knowledge of:・ensure the availability and access of food safety
documentation to relevant staff
・understand and evaluate records

・the food safety inclusions required in raw material,
ingredient, packaging material and service
specifications for a given input or service
・the product safety requirements within contracts forprocess inputs and services (including utilities,
transport, and maintenance)・read and interpret specifications, associate process andprocedure requirements
・assess the applicability of contracts
・identify gaps and omissions in available specifications
・verify the effective implementation of specifications
and contracts

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・appropriate technologies to manage documentation・components of management processes
・responsibility to documentation, update version,
definition of documents, documentation management・compare actual operations with documented
procedures・assess the appropriateness, coverage, and currency ofprocedures and instructions for a given industry sector
・assess the effective dissemination of food safety
documentation within a facility
・verify that standard operating procedures (SOPs) andwork instructions are being followed
・confirm that personnel understand procedures, byinterview etc.

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・the inter-relationship of food safety functions withother organizational functions
・business resources (time, money, and people)
required to implement, maintain and improve the・assess the effectiveness and suitability of the resources
applied to food safety・identify gaps in the resources applied to food safety38

Ability to:food safety system
FSM 13.1
Purchasing

FSM 13.2
Supplier
Performance

FSM 13.3
Outsourcing

FSM 14
Traceability

FSM 16
AllergenManagement

FSM 17
Control of
Measuring andKnowledge of:

Ability to:・the food safety inclusions required in raw material,
ingredient, packaging material and service
specifications for a given input or service
・contract management・risk-based approved supplier protocols
・risk-based contract manufacturing protocols

・read and understand the applicability of suppliercontracts
・assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of applied
approved supplier protocols
・identify gaps and omissions in approved supplier
protocols・verify the effectiveness of the approved supplier
program

As per FSM 13.1 Purchasing, plus the following
knowledge requirements:
Knowledge of:As per FSM 13.1 Purchasing, plus the following skill
requirements:
Ability to:・performance monitoring・apply performance monitoring techniques

As per FSM 13.1 Purchasing and FSM 13.2 Supplier
Performance, plus the following knowledge
requirement:
Knowledge of:As per FSM 13.1 Purchasing and FSM 13.2 Supplier
Performance, plus the following skill requirement:
Ability to:・performance monitoring・apply performance monitoring techniques

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・regulatory requirements for non-conforming
product, trade withdrawal and recall
・product identification and traceability procedures・assess the effectiveness, communication, andapplication of identification and traceability procedures・review records for raw material, ingredient, packaging,work in progress and finished stock to determine
traceability
・identify gaps in identification and traceability
procedures・review and analyze mock trace results

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・ allergens and their management in given industry
sectors
・ identity preserved (IP) foods and their management
・ biological hazards and control methods in given
industry sectors
・allergen cleaning protocols to remove allergenprotein residues
・ cleaning and sanitation technologies and chemicals
for a given industry sector, including wet cleaning, drycleaning, foam cleaners, cleaning-in-place (CIP)・ risk-based sanitation verification methods including(but not limited to) chemicals, environmental
swabbing, pre-operational checks, product testing,etc.
・ environmental monitoring programs for high-riskareas・ backflow prevention methods
・ methods for verifying the effectiveness of cleaning
Knowledge of:・ evaluate procedures in place to identify and control
allergens and to prevent cross-contact of allergens
・ evaluate procedures in place to identify controlledfoods
・ evaluate air, water, traffic and facility design forpotential cross-contamination
・ implement an effective environmental monitoring
program for high risk areas
・ evaluate the effectiveness of sanitation verification
procedures for a given product・ identify gaps in cleaning and sanitation procedures andverification protocols
・ determine if backflow prevention measures are
effective・the parameters critical to ensuring food safety and to・assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of devices

39

Ability to:Monitoring
Devicesmeeting regulatory requirements and customer
specification for a given industry sector
・measuring and monitoring equipment and devices
used to measure food safety parameters for a given
industry sector
・calibration methods for described measuring andmonitoring equipment and devices

used to measure food safety parameters・review and analyze calibration procedures and records
・assess the appropriateness and effectiveness ofcalibration procedures・identify gaps in calibration procedures・verify the disposition of product assessed using
equipment that is out of calibration

FSM 18.1
Product labeling(B-to-C
products)

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・food labeling legislation in the country of origin andthe country(s) of destination applicable to a given
product group・customer or industry codes of practice on labeling・assess the effectiveness and application of label
approval procedures
・read product labels and establish the authenticity of
information provided
・verify the accuracy of label information

FSM 19.1
Analysis andInspection

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・regulatory requirements governing inputs including
processing aids, biochemical, feedstuffs, water andgases
・hazards and risks associated with inputs for a given
industry sector including (but not limited to)processing aids, biochemical, feedstuffs, water andgases

・assess the application and effectiveness of
specifications and procedures in place to control thesafety of inputs
・review and evaluate analytical records and certificatesof analysis
・identify gaps in procedures in place to control inputs

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・internal audit principles and practice・food safety verification activities appropriate tospecific industry sectors
・the principles of continuous improvement as applied
to food safety management

・read and interpret an internal audit schedule・evaluate the competence of internal auditors
・evaluate the adequacy of the internal audit based onscope・read and review internal audit reports
・identify gaps in internal audit practices and reports
・verify that appropriate corrective actions are identified
as necessary
・verify corrective actions taken as a result of internal
auditsAs per FSM 1 Top Management Responsibility, plus
the following knowledge requirements:
Knowledge of:As per FSM1 Top Management Responsibility, plus thefollowing skill requirements:
Ability to:・regulatory requirements for non-conforming
product, withdrawal and recall
・trend analysis

・review the customer complaint process・assess the effectiveness of actions taken to prioritize
and reduce customer complaints
・evaluate the significance of individual customer
complaints as related to food safety

FSM 20Internal Audit

FSM 21
Complaint
Handling

FSM22
Serious IncidentManagement

・assess the willingness of management and staff tocorrect and improve shortcomings in food safety
Ability to:

Knowledge of:・industry or trade protocols in place for serious
incidents, trade withdrawals, or product recalls
・finished stock identification and control processes

40

・assess the effectiveness, communication, andapplication of traceability, withdrawal and recall
procedures・review and analyze records of mock or actual
withdrawals and recalls
・identify gaps in traceability, withdrawal and recall
protocols

FSM 23
Product
ReleaseFSM 24
Identification of
nonconformities
and control ofnonconforming
products
FSM 25
Corrective
ActionKnowledge of:

Ability to:・regulations applicable to product release
・the objective, structure and content required for a
product release procedure in a given industry sector
・sampling and testing procedures relevant to productsafety in a particular industry sector
Knowledge of:・review and analyze sampling and test procedures for agiven product・assess the appropriateness, application, andeffectiveness of a product release procedure・processes required to identify, quarantine, hold,dispose of, or downgrade unsafe product in a given
industry sector
・regulations covering disposition of unsafe productAs per FSM 1 Top Management Responsibility andFSM 5 Food Safety Management System and General
Requirements, plus the following knowledge
requirements:
Knowledge of:・identify the suitability of procedures in place for
disposition of non-conforming or unsafe product・assess the effectiveness of actions taken to deal with
non-conforming or unsafe productAs per FSM 1 Top Management Responsibility and FSM 5
Food Safety Management System and General
Requirements, plus the following skill requirements:
Ability to:・the principles and practice of corrective action as
applied to food safety management
・difference between correction, corrective action, andpreventive action・assess the availability of information necessary tosupport the operation and monitoring of the food safety
management processes
・assess the measurement and, analysis of theseprocesses
・assess the corrective action plans necessary to achieve
planned results and continuous improvement andprevent recurrence・verify corrections and corrective actions taken

41

Ability to:2.2 HACCP Requirements
Tasks
Hazard Analysis andCritical Control Point(HACCP)

Knowledge required for auditors, witness assessors
and technical reviewers

Skills required for Auditor

Knowledge of:

Ability to: Codex Alimentarius and National Advisory Committee
on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)
HACCP principles and implementation steps

 assess the appropriateness of the scope andpurpose of the HACCP plan, and the HACCP team the Codex Alimentarius Commission General
Principles of Food Hygiene CAC/ RCP 1-1969, Rev. 4 2003
 the preliminary steps in implementing HACCP (scope,team, product description, process flow diagram) the scope and purpose of a HACCP-based system the factors influencing food safety that must be
included in a product description for a given industry
sector the intended use of a given product constructing and verifying a process flow diagram the microbiological, chemical, and physical foodsafety hazards that may reasonably be expected tooccur in a given industry sector
 the control measures required to eliminate orminimize the microbiological, chemical, and physicalfood safety hazards for a given industry sector
 risk assessment/hazard analysis methodologies
relevant to a given industry sector
 determination of CCPs within a HACCP plan determination and validation of critical limits determination of monitoring procedures andfrequency
 the format and content of Standard Operating
Practices (SOPs) and Work Instructions (WIs) determination of appropriate corrective andpreventive actions to dispose of affected product andprevent recurrence
 verification procedures to ensure the effectiveness ofthe HACCP-based system42

 assess the appropriateness of the productdescription and intended used evaluate the accuracy of the process flow
diagram assess that all potential food safety hazards havebeen identified
 assess that the hazard analysis and risk
management methodologies have been appliedcorrectly and consistently
 evaluate the adequacy, application andeffectiveness of control measures in place toeliminate or minimize the risk of potential
hazards
 assess whether CCPs have been correctly
identified
 assess those critical limits are scientificallyvalidated or justified, and correctly differentiate
between safe and unsafe product assess the application and effectiveness ofcorrective action procedures in place where foodsafety control is lost assess the application and effectiveness ofverification procedures in place to ensure theadequacy of the HACCP-based system evaluate the adequacy, understanding,application and effectiveness of Standard
Operating Practices (SOPs) and Work Instructions(WIs)
 ensure that the HACCP plan is reviewed
periodically or when process changes occur

2.3 GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE (GMP) REQUIREMENTS
Tasks

Knowledge required for auditors, witness
assessors and technical reviewers

Skills required for Auditor

GMP 1
Facility Environment

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・regulatory requirements relating to food premises
・standards and industry codes of practiceconcerning sanitary construction and design offood premises
・the food safety risks associated with the locationand environment, including potential air or watercontamination, pest control, etc.
・sector specific risks such as waste management,
dust control, and pest management

・assess the potential or actual food safetycontamination risks associated with the site,
grounds, external areas, surrounding properties, andprocess flow
・evaluate the measures taken by the site to control
actual or potential food safety risks due to the site or
location・identify gaps in the control measures taken by thesite to control actual or potential food safety risks
due to the site or location

As per GMP 1, plus the following knowledge
requirements:
Knowledge of:As per GMP 1, plus the following skill requirements:
Ability to:

GMP 3
Design, construction,layout of business site
and work and productflow lines

GMP 4
Physical, chemicaland biological productcontamination risks
and isolation・potential contamination sources
・production processes for a given industry sector
As per HACCP 1, plus the following knowledge
requirements:
Knowledge of・types of materials suitable for building foodproduction and storage facilities
・effect of detergents and disinfectants onmaterials used in manufacturing in food facilities
・technologies associated with detection ofcontaminants including metal detectors, X-ray,sieves, filters, divert valves・calibration requirements for relevant technologies
・regulatory and product knowledge of chemicals
used within a food manufacturing plant including
detergents, sanitizers, processing aids, water
treatment chemicals, and pest management
chemicals・management of non-conforming product・allergens and their management in given industry
sectors・identity preserved (IP) foods and their
management
・biological hazards and control methods in given
industry sectors

GMP 5
Personnel Facilities

Knowledge of:・the risk of pathogen contamination from humancontact

43

・evaluate the design and construction measurestaken by the site to prevent, minimize or eliminate
food safety hazards and risks
As per HACCP 1, plus the following additional skill
requirements:
Ability to:・evaluate potential or actual food safetycontamination risks associated with the constructionof food manufacturing and storage facilities
・identify areas where product contamination or
cross-contamination could occur due to building
construction・assess the potential or actual food safetycontamination risks associated with the design,
layout, and condition of production processes
・assess the application and effectiveness ofprocedures in place to prevent productcontamination
・evaluate the appropriateness, application, andeffectiveness of technologies used to detect
contaminants
・evaluate the application and effectiveness ofcalibration procedures for existing technologies
・evaluate the appropriateness, application, andeffectiveness of chemicals used for cleaning, water
treatment, pest management, and other functions
・evaluate procedures in place to adequately disposeof non-conforming product・identify gaps in the facility’s procedures andpractices to control product contamination
・evaluate procedures in place to identify and control
allergens and to prevent cross-contact of allergens
・ evaluate procedures in place to identify controlled
foods・evaluate air, water, traffic and facility design forpotential cross-contamination
Ability to:・assess the potential or actual food safety

GMP 6.1
Personal hygiene
criteria for personnel

GMP 7
Training

・standards and industry codes of practiceconcerning sanitary construction and design offood premises
・specific requirements regarding toilet rooms,
locker rooms or change rooms, uniform issue,
hand-washing facilities, and canteen areas in given
industry sectors
・requirements for high-care areas whereapplicable・personal hygiene practices for given industry
sectors
・ regulatory requirements concerning personal
hygiene for food handlers
・ human transmission of food pathogens and risk
mitigation measures
・ human transmission of allergenic protein residue
and risk mitigation measures
・ suitability of medical screening procedures for
detection of communicable diseases
・ the risk of traffic and work patterns on productsafety・ statutory and industry standards for provisionand condition of toilet rooms, change rooms,
canteens, hand-wash stations, break stations
・ statutory and industry standards for provisionand condition of protective clothing, disposable
gloves・ risk-based methodologies for verifying theeffectiveness of personal hygiene programs

contamination risks associated with the design andcondition of staff facilities including toilet rooms,
change rooms and canteens・evaluate the application and effectiveness ofprocedures in place to manage food safety risk fromstaff facilities
・identify gaps in the site’s procedures to manage
food safety risk from staff facilities
・ evaluate the application, frequency,
appropriateness, and effectiveness of personal
hygiene procedures for a given product・ review the effectiveness of traffic and work
patterns on minimizing the risk of productcontamination
・ analyze environmental and product test results
・ identify gaps in personal hygiene procedures andverification protocols

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・ regulatory requirements concerning personal
hygiene for food handlers
・ human transmission of food pathogens and risk
mitigation measures
・ human transmission of allergenic protein residue
and risk mitigation measures
・ suitability of medical screening procedures for
detection of communicable diseases
・ the risk of traffic and work patterns on productsafety・ statutory and industry standards for provisionand condition of toilet rooms, change rooms,
canteens, hand-wash stations, break stations
・ statutory and industry standards for provisionand condition of protective clothing, disposable
gloves・ risk-based methodologies for verifying theeffectiveness of personal hygiene programs・ evaluate the application, frequency,
appropriateness, and effectiveness of personal
hygiene procedures for a given product・ review the effectiveness of traffic and work
patterns on minimizing the risk of productcontamination
・review the effectiveness of the labor status
・ analyze environmental and product test results
・ identify gaps in personal hygiene procedures andverification protocols

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・ regulatory requirements for training of foodhandlers
・ competency-based training and assessment
methods
・ the content of position descriptions

・ assess the application and effectiveness of training
programs provided to food handlers
・ assess the effective implementation of position
descriptions by food handlers
・ assess the effective implementation of
documented food handlers job functions
・ assess the effective supervision of food handlers
・ identify gaps in food safety training procedures

44

GMP 8Housekeeping,cleaning, sterilizationand disinfection

GMP 11
Air and water
management

GMP 12
Waste Management

GMP 13
Pest control

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・legal requirements for food establishment
hygiene・chemical action of detergents and disinfectants
・microbiological resistance to disinfectants
allergen cleaning protocols to remove allergenprotein residues
・risk-based disinfection verification methods
including cleaning and disinfection techniques for agiven industry sector including, but not limited to,wet cleaning, dry cleaning, detergents, in-situ
cleaning, and chemical environmental swabbing,pre-operational checks, and product testing・Environmental monitoring program for high-risk
areas・Backflow prevention method
・How to verify cleaning effectivenessKnowledge of:・ evaluate the application, frequency,
appropriateness, and effectiveness of cleaning andsanitation methods for a given product・ analyze sanitation schedules and records
・ analyze environmental and product test results
・ implement an effective environmental monitoring
program for high risk areas
・ evaluate the effectiveness of sanitation verification
procedures for a given product・ identify gaps in cleaning and sanitation proceduresand verification protocols
・ determine if backflow prevention measures are
effective・ regulatory requirements concerning theportability, treatment, separation and handling ofwater used for food contact, steam, and ice
production, post-harvest washing, and personal
hygiene・ technologies and methodologies for water
treatment
・ industry codes of practice for identification andstorage of potable and non-potable water supplies
・risks associated with cross-connection of water
pipes, backflow prevention valves, age andcondition
Knowledge of:・ evaluate the application and effectiveness of
methods used to treat and/or manage the portabilityof water used for food contact, steam and/or ice
production, post-harvest washing, and personal
hygiene・ interpret water test results
・ identify and assess the separation of potable from
non-potable water
・ identify gaps in the water quality program・ regulatory requirements concerning the handlingand disposal of waste materials, including
environmental regulations governing air-borne,
liquid, and solid waste control
・ potential product contamination sources for agiven industry sector
・ waste handling, storage and disposal practices fora given industry sector
・ cleaning and housekeeping of waste containers,
lines and equipment
・ personal hygiene requirements following
handling of waste materials
・ management of pests and vermin in waste
storage and handling areas

・ evaluate the application and effectiveness of waste
storage, handling, and disposal procedures
・ identify gaps in waste storage, handling anddisposal procedures

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・ food safety hazards and risks caused by pests andvermin in food premises・legal requirements for pest control, use andhandling of pest management chemicals
・ the use, storage, handling and disposal of pest
control chemicals and mechanical pest control
technologies
・ personal hygiene requirements following

・ assess the suitability and application of contract
agreements with pest control contractors
・ identify the types of pests to be controlled for agiven industry sector
・ assess the in-house ability of businesses to verify
the competence of individuals responsible for pest
control・ evaluate the application and effectiveness of pest

45

Ability to:

Ability to:GMP 15
Transport

GMP 17
Stock Management

GMP 18Devices and Tools

GMP 19Maintenancehandling of pests and pest control chemicals

management procedures employed・ analyze pest management reports
・ assess the effectiveness of storage requirementsfor pest control chemicals and equipment
・ identify gaps in pest management procedures・ evaluate whether monitoring and pest control are
well coordinated.

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・ regulatory requirements relating to foodtransport vehicles
・ standards and industry codes of practiceconcerning sanitary construction and design offood transport vehicles
・ the cold chain code of practice・ the impact of climate (temperature, humidity) on
product in transit
・ risks offered by packaging materials in differing
climatic conditions (e.g., chemical migration)
・ protection by packaging materials in different
climatic conditions

・ assess the potential or actual food safetycontamination risks associated with food transport
for a given product group or industry sector
・ validate temperature and climatic logging devices
・ assess vehicle loading and unloading practices,
including holding times
・ identify gaps in product transport arrangements

Knowledge of:

Ability to:・product identification and traceability protocols
and practices
・ stock control, stock rotation and stock
management protocols and practices
・ definition and calculation of shelf life, including
regulatory requirements where applicable・ assess the effectiveness, communication, andapplication of identification and traceability
procedures・review records for raw material, packaging, work inprogress, finished goods, processing aids, andchemicals・ review storage conditions for raw material,
packaging, work in progress, finished goods,
processing aids, and chemicals
・ review records that validate shelf life for a given
product・ identify gaps in stock management and shelf life
validation method

As per GMP 1 and GMP 3, plus the following
knowledge requirements:
Knowledge of:As per GMP 1 and GMP3, plus the following skill
requirements:
Ability to:・regulatory requirements relating to food premises
and equipment
・food safety contamination risks associated withthe design and fabrication of food contact
equipment

・assess the potential or actual food safetycontamination risks associated with the design andfabrication of food contact equipment
・identify areas of potential product contamination or
cross-contamination caused by food contact
equipment

As per GMP 1 and GMP 3, plus the following
knowledge requirement:
Knowledge of:As per GMP 1 and GMP 3, plus the following skill
requirements:
Ability to:・effective preventive and corrective maintenanceprograms for a given industry sector
・preventive and corrective maintenance practices
and technologies used for preventive maintenanceprograms

・evaluate the application and effectiveness of thepreventive and corrective maintenance program・identify gaps in the site’s preventive and corrective
maintenance program46

３． Behavior and Systems Thinking
Tasks
3.1
Auditor Conduct andBehavior
Includes:Personal behavior
Audit leadership

3.2
Systems Thinking
Includes:Problem solving
Critical thinking
Root cause analysis

3.3
Organizational Behavior
Includes:Business andorganizational
practices

Knowledge required for auditors, witness
assessors and technical reviewers
Knowledge of:conflict of interest
professional conduct required by auditors of the
JFS-C standards.
the behavioral attributes expected of food safety
auditors including:✓ Ethical; e.g., fair, truthful, sincere, honest anddiscreet,✓ Open minded; e.g., willing to consider
alternative ideas or points of view,✓ Diplomatic; e.g., tactful in dealing with people,✓ Observant; e.g., actually aware of physicalsurroundings and activities,✓ Perceptive; e.g., instinctive, aware of and able tounderstand situations,✓ Versatile; e.g., adjusts readily to different
situations,✓ Tenacious; e.g., persistent, focused on achieving
objectives,✓ Decisive; e.g., timely conclusions based on
logical reasoning,✓ Self-reliant; e.g., acts independently whilst
interacting effectively with others,✓ Integrity; e.g., aware of need for confidentiality
and observes professional code of conduct,✓ Moral courage (note: courage to do right things)

conflict management and resolution
roles and responsibilities of audit team leadersteam dynamics and synergy – the cooperativeinteraction among team members that creates anenhanced combined effectKnowledge of:
principles of systems thinking – identification ofissues as part of an overall system as a whole,rather than reacting to specific partssystem improvement – singular and common
causes
the relationship of quality management andproductivity to food safetystatistical process control and cause and effectanalysisapplicable methods and techniques forunderstanding and resolving problems
tools and techniques to conceptualize, analyze,
and evaluate performance data and informationfrom a variety of sources
the methodology, tools and techniques of root
cause analysis
Knowledge of:organizational structures and the inter-relationshipof job functions
general business processes and related
terminology

cultural, religious, and social customs within agiven organization
ethical and moral principles and issues as applied
to a given organization and/or industry sector

47

Skills required for Auditor
Ability to:apply the appropriate behavioral attributes
expected of a food safety auditor during the
conduct of an audit. The auditor is able todemonstrate honesty, discretion, openmindedness, diplomacy, perceptiveness,versatility, tenacity, decisiveness, and selfreliance.

deliver against the expected behaviors andshow continuous improvementdevelop observation skills
maintain self-control and professionalism at all
times and under all audit conditions
readily respond to meeting the needs ofinternal and external clientsresolve conflict with tact and diplomacy, but
without succumbing to external pressures or
un-verifiable facts
plan the activities of an audit team effectively
develop a synergistic outcome form an audit
team
recognize conflict of interest
conduct a self-assessment and develop
continuous improvement strategies


Ability to:
big picture thinking. The ability to stand backand look at the system as a whole, rather thanjust the individual parts
explain the inter-relationship between quality
management, operations, productivity and foodsafety
identify special and common causes
correctly apply appropriate statistical processcontrol tools
conduct cause and effect analysis

apply correct problem-solving tools in a given
situation

Ability to:identify the inter-relationship of job functions
within an organization and the impact on theeffectiveness of the food safety management
system
identify the interaction of employees within an
organization and the impact on theeffectiveness of the food safety management
system
identify the cultural, religious, and social
customs within an organization and the impact
on the effectiveness of the food safetymanagement system
identify the application of ethical conduct
within an organization and its impact on theeffectiveness of the food safety management
systemThese competencies of auditors, witness assessors and technical reviewers do not require one by one
verification.

48

Annex 3 (Normative) Scope of certification, auditor's qualifications,education, and work experience
This annex shows the relationship between the scope of the JFS-C standard and certification program
and the qualifications, education, and work experience required for auditors, as follows (See also
Table 1.)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Sectors/subsectors covered by the JFS-C standard and certification program
Examples of activities and products included in 1.
Qualifications and education required for auditors conducting certification activities in 1.
Examples of work experience required for auditors conducting certification activities in 1.
1） 4. is a food processing area that contains specific hazards in the scope of application described in 1.
and 2. and requires special attention to ensure food safety.
2） 4. is the practical experience necessary for the auditor to demonstrate competence in auditing in thescope described in 1. and 2.
3） The auditor does not need to have all the practical experience listed in section 4.1 for eachsector/subsector.

Table.1 Scope of certification, auditor qualifications, education and work experience
Scope of application of JFS-C standards and certification program Auditor qualifications, education, and work experience
１．
CI
Processingofperishable
animal products

C II
Processingofperishable plant
products

2．*1
3．
Activity:
・A degree in a food related orProcessing and packaging including fish andbio-science discipline or, as aseafood, meat, eggs, dairy and fish products.
minimum, has successfully
Processing of pet food from animal products
completed a food related or
only.
bio-science higher education
course or equivalent.
Examples of finished products:
Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, frozen and/or
chilled dairy products and fish/fisheryproducts, and pet food from animal products
only

4．*2

Activity:
・A degree in a food related orProcessing and packaging including fruits
bio-science discipline or, as aand fresh juices, vegetables, grains, nuts, andminimum, has successfully
pulses.
completed a food related orProcessing pet food from plant products
bio-science higher education
only.
course or equivalent.

► Fruit and vegetableprocessing► Red Meat Processing► Poultry Processing► Fish Processing► Seafood Processing► MeatProcessing

Product► FishProcessing

Product► Diary Technology► Egg Processing

Examples of finished products:
Tofu, soy milk, noodles of chilled distribution
type (made only from plant-derived
ingredients), pickles, fresh fruit, fresh juice,
cut vegetables, and pet food from plant
products only
C III
Processingofperishable
animal and plant
products(Mixedproducts)

Activity:
・A degree in a food related orProcessing and packaging including Chilled
bio-science discipline or, as aready-made foods, bento, dumpling, readyminimum, has successfully
to-eat meals.
completed a food related or
Pizza,
lasagna,sandwiches,andbio-science higher education
manufactured in off-site central kitchenscourse or equivalent.
away from consumption sites. Production of49► MeatProcessing

Product► FishProcessing

Product► Diary Technology

Table.1 Scope of certification, auditor qualifications, education and work experience
Scope of application of JFS-C standards and certification program Auditor qualifications, education, and work experience１．

2．*1
in-flight meals.
Processing perishable pet food from mixed
products.

3．

4．*2► Ready to Eat Food
Product Processing

Examples of finished products:
Chilledready-madefoods,
bento,
delicatessen, pizza, lasagna, sandwiches,
dumpling (Shumai, gyoza, etc.), ready-to-eat
meals, and perishable pet food from mixed
products.
C IV
Processingofambient
stable products

Activity:
・A degree in a food related orProcessing and packaging from any source
bio-science discipline or, as astored and sold at ambient temperature
minimum, has successfully
includes canned foods, biscuits, snacks, oil,completed a food related or
drinking water, soft drink, pasta, flour, sugar,
bio-science higher educationand salt.
course or equivalent.
Processing ambient stable pet food
Examples of finished products:
Soy sauce, miso, sake, tea, packaged rice,drinking water, soft drink, confectionery,sauces, mixed seasonings, instant foods,
canned products, bread, oil, alcoholic andnon-alcoholic beverages, pasta, flour, sugar,salt, and ambient stable pet food.

K
Manufacture ofchemicalproducts(including
biochemical
products)(Manufacture ofadditives,
vitamins,
minerals,
cultures, flavors,
enzymes,
processing aids,
etc.)

Activity:
・A degree in a food related, bioProduction of food and feed additives,scienceorchemicalflavorings, vitamins, food grade gases,
engineering discipline or, as aminerals, and processing aids.
minimum, has successfully
Production of bio-cultures and enzymes.
completed a food related or
bio-science higher education
Examples of finished products:
course or equivalent.
Food and feed additives, vitamins, minerals,
bio-cultures, artificial flavors, amino acids,
enzymes and processing aids, gases and/or
filling gases as ingredients.

Not limited to *1 and *2.

50► Thermal Processing► Baking Technology► Diary Technology► Brewing Technology► Extrusion Technology► Vegetable and Animal
Fats and Oils
► Sugar refining► Beverage production► Alcoholic
production

drink► Fermentation
Technology► Chemical Engineering► Biochemical
EngineeringAnnex 4 (Normative) Risk Factors of Operational Integrity in JFSM
This Annex defines the risk factors to be considered in conducting desktop review, certification body officeaudits, certification body KPIs, and annual performance analyses. Details of the implementation of theIntegrity Program are noted in the "Surveillance activity provisions for certification bodies relating to the JFSC Certification Program".

ClauseIntegrity Program and KPIs

3.6.3

Desktop review(Monitoring of audit report)
Office Audit
KPIs for certification body
activities
Evaluation of certification activity
using the JFSM database

3.6.4
3.6.5
3.6.6 1)〇△*

Risk factors to be considered
a)
△

b)

c)
△

d)
△

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

e)

f)

g)

h)
△

i)

j)

k)
△

l)

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

: Assessable risk factors: Risk factors that may be assessable

Considered as risk factorsa) Number of countries in which the certificationbody is activeb) The number of central functions of thecertification bodyc) Number of active auditors

Assessment objectives
To assess the diversity of the scope of the audit
activitiesd)Language in which the audit is conductede)

Number of audits by region

f)
g)
h)

Number of certification registrations
Number of audits per auditor
Number of nonconformities by classificationi)

Grade and number of nonconformities

Differences in the screening environment between
regions
Differences in the screening environment between
regions
Balance with the number of auditors
Balance of audit activity among auditors
Trends and differences by auditor and by certification
body
Variation in judging by auditorsj)Number of audit durationk)

Important product recalls that have an effecton food safety
Number of related complaintsl)

To assess the diversity of the scope of the audit
activities
To assess the balance against the number of reviews

Differences and consistency with calculated manhours
To assess the certified organizations’ audits ofconformity with the JFS-C standard
Evaluation of certification activities

1: Disclaimer: This translated document is provided for information purposes only. In the event of adifference of interpretation or a dispute, the original Japanese version of this document is binding.

51