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What is JFS Standard as Food Safety Management Standard?

JFS standards were released in 2016 as a certification/conformity assessment standard for food safety management developed and operated by Japan Food Safety Management Association. JFS standards specify the requirements for food business operators (FBOs). By conducting an audit by a third party to confirm whether food safety management is operated in accordance with the requirements, we can ensure that FBOs have established and operated food safety management system for manufacturing and delivering safe food for consumers.
JFS standards are easy to set up regardless of the size of the business, allowing FBOs to step-up international standards for food safety management. JFS standards help FBOs improve the level of food safety management and play a role in ensuring food safety connections throughout the food chain.

Sector Coverage of JFS Standard

Each JFS standard covers specific industrial sectors.
● JFS-C, JFS-B, JFS-A
Food processing and manufacturing, manufacturing of food additives, and chemical products.
Please see also JFS-C Leaflet(English version) and JFS Leaflet(English version).
● JFS standard (Food Fervice) and JFS standards (Food Service Multi-Site)
Food service providers (restaurant, catering, etc.)
You can refer to the sector classification of each industry here.

JFS Document System

Every JFS standard provides the following three documents:
Standard Document (Requirements for Organizations), Program Document, and Guidelines
See also below for more documents.
Standards and documents

System of JFS Standard Certification/Conformity Assessment

JFS-C Standard, which is GFSI recognized food-safety standard, allows CBs to conduct audit at food business operators (FBOs) and issue certification. CBs must be accredited by an accreditation body(AB) to which JFSM is contracted.
Other JFS standards (JFS-B, JFS-A, JFS (Food Service/ Food Service Multi-Site)) , audit company (AC), which is audited and registered by JFSM as the program owner, conducts audit of FBOs and issues letter of conformance.
The list of ABs, CBs and ACs is available from the link below.
List of accreditation body/certification body/audit company

Three Elements of JFS Standard

JFS standards are Food Safety Management certification/conformity assessment, which consist of three elements: Food Safety Management System (FSM), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Instead of working independently, each of these elements influences the other.

Food Safety Management System (FSM)
● Control mechanisms for effective implementation of the following GMP and HACCP
● Establishment of safety policies, preparation of procedures, establishment of document control methods, etc.
● Top management's Responsibility, Food Defense and Response to Food Fraud
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
● Conduct the potential hazards analysis for biological, chemical, or physical hazards (HA)
● Determine the critical control points for hazard prevention (CCP)
● Establish the control conditions at critical control points
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
● General hygene management that is fundamental to food-safety management
● Core criteria for the prerequisite programme to implement HACCP
● Employee's health and hygiene, environment, facilities, equipment, testing, maintenance, education, etc.

JFS Standard Types

JFS standards for food manufacturers JFS-C, JFS-B, and JFS-A are different in the level and number of the requirements. There are differences in the requirements and the number of items required by each standard. This step-up system allows various food business operators to easily step-in and improve food-safety management of their organization, regardless of the size of their business.

For an overview of JFS (Food Service) standards for food service providers such as restaurants, catering facilities, and other food service providers, and JFS (Food Service Multisite) standards for food service providers that operate multiple facilities, please click here.