Food Safety + HACCP Compliance in Thailand

TL;DR

Thai food safety is regulated under the Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979) and FDA-Thai Notifications. GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) is mandatory for many food categories; HACCP is mandatory for several including chilled / frozen, ready-to-eat, infant formula, special-medical-purpose foods, and many export categories. Thai food safety also draws on Codex Alimentarius standards and bilateral export-destination requirements.

HACCP Mandatory Categories (Indicative)

• Chilled / frozen ready-to-eat foods.
• Infant formula and follow-on formula.
• Food for special medical purposes.
• Foods for export to certain destinations.
• Certain processed seafood.

Implementation Steps

1. Hazard analysis (biological, chemical, physical).
2. Identify Critical Control Points (CCPs).
3. Establish critical limits + monitoring + corrective action.
4. Verification + record-keeping.
5. Periodic review.
6. Certification audit (TIS-Q, BUREAU VERITAS, BSI, etc.).

Adjacent Frameworks

• GHP (Good Hygiene Practices).
• BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000 (private standards demanded by buyers).
• Halal Standard TIS THS 24000-2552 — overlay with halal certification.

Common Mistakes

• HACCP plan without CCP monitoring records.
• Verification audits skipped.
• Missing the export-destination-specific overlays.
• HACCP not integrated with traceability for recall.

FAQs

1. SME exemption?

Small-scale food producers may have simplified HACCP requirements per FDA-Thai notifications.

Related Reading

• Halal Certification