Contents
- Which changes need change certification
- Change application procedure and timeline
- If you do not apply, and validity
- FAQ
A business certified as a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) establishment that wants to change its business site location or a critical control point (CCP) must file a change application and obtain change certification before making the change. HACCP is a certification, not a business registration or permit, so the application goes to the Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services (한국식품안전관리인증원), not to the local office that handles your business registration. For first-time certification, see our HACCP certification guide; this article covers changes only.
Which changes need change certification
For food businesses, the change application covers two items: the business site location and the critical control points. Livestock product worksites add the livestock product type, and farms add the livestock species.
| Change | HACCP side | Also check |
|---|---|---|
| Relocating the business site | Change application required (a change of only the administrative lot number is excluded on the form) | Food manufacturers must register the new business location |
| Changing a CCP | Change application required | Review the HACCP plan |
| Adding a similar product made by the same process | Application to add the product; may be approved on document review alone | Making a new food group with added facilities requires a registration change |
| Extending the plant or replacing equipment | Change application if a CCP changes as a result | Consider re-evaluating the plan for process changes |
| New representative or trade name, business transfer | Not on the change application list | A transferee reports succession within 1 month |
HACCP change certification and changes to your business registration are separate procedures; a relocation may need both, so plan the food manufacturing registration side at the same time. A new representative or trade name is not a change application item, but the certificate will no longer match, so ask the agency in advance how to update it. HACCP applications are also filed per worksite, so opening an additional plant while keeping the existing one is different from a relocation; first consider whether the new worksite needs its own certification application.
Change application procedure and timeline
The law does not set a deadline after the change. It requires change certification when you intend to make the change, so put the application ahead of the move or process change.
- Fix the details of the change and have the HACCP team review the plan (CCPs, critical limits and so on).
- Submit the change application with the existing certificate and documents proving the change, such as a description of the CCP change, to the head of the agency. Electronic filing is accepted.
- The agency checks the change by document review or on-site inspection. If documents are insufficient, it may request supplements within a set period, normally within 15 days.
- If the on-site inspection finds gaps, you may be asked to supplement, or the change procedure may be closed.
- If found suitable, the agency reissues the certificate with the change and notifies the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the regional office.
The processing period on the application form is 15 days. Supplement requests can extend this, so apply well before the planned start at the new site.
If you do not apply, and validity
Changing the location or a CCP without a change application leads to a corrective order under the certification cancellation criteria. Failing to comply after 2 or more corrective orders makes the certification subject to cancellation.
Change certification does not restart a new 3-year term. Its validity is the remaining period of the original certification. To continue, file for extension at least 60 days before expiry; the certifying body sends notice at least 90 days before expiry, and extensions are granted for up to 3 years. For extension and periodic evaluation, see our post-certification management guide.
FAQ
Q. Do I need full recertification to add a new product?
A. If it is a similar type made through the same process as an already certified food, it can be added on document review alone without a separate on-site evaluation. The same applies to certifying a new food at an already certified worksite.
Q. The plant has not moved, but the address changed due to administrative redistricting. Is this a change application item?
A. The location field on the change application form excludes changes of the administrative lot number only. Distinguish this from an actual move of the worksite, and if unclear, check with the agency before applying.
Q. What happens when the operator of a group meal facility changes?
A. If a certified group meal facility changes operator, for example when an outsourcing contract ends, and HACCP is no longer applied, the certification is cancelled and the certificate must be returned immediately.
Q. What do I do with the certificate if I close the business?
A. A business that closes must return the certificate to the head of the agency without delay.
Planning a relocation or process change?
We review your HACCP change application and business registration changes together. Yuseon Administrative Scrivener Office handles HACCP certification. Phone 02-363-2251, weekdays 09:30~17:30 KST.
Request a consultation