Technical Criteria of Certification of Manufacturer Concerning the Organic Agricultural Product Processed Foods

1 TECHNICAL CRITERIA OF CERTIFICATION OF MANUFACTURER CONCERNING THE ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT PROCESSED FOODS (Notification No.818 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of June 9, 2000) (UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION) I. Facilities for Manufacture or Processing, Storage, Quality Control, and Grading 1. Facilities for manufacture, or processing, storage, quality control (1) To store various types of equipment and to assure broadness and brightness not for interfering the work. (2) To have water supply facilities for feeding sufficient clean water. (3) To maintain superior quality of the raw materials and the products. (4) To assure broadness and structure not for interfering the management complied with the criteria related to the management of the manufacture, processing, packaging and other processes prescribed in Article 4 of the Japanese Agricultural Standard (Notification No.60 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of January 20, 2000. Hereafter called “Japanese Agricultural Standard”). 2. Facilities for grading To have the facilities for evaluating the inspection results and controlling voucher. II. Execution Methods for Quality Control 2 1. Quality control managers prescribed in III-2 are responsible for the following affairs. (1) Drafting and promotion of a plan related to the quality control (including subcontract management (management related to the subcontract such as the selection criteria of the subcontractor, the content of the subcontract, and the subcontract processing in cases of consigning parts of the manufacture or facility management to the outsider); being the same hereafter.). (2) Handling of abnormality happened in the process, complaints, etc., and guidance and advice related to the measures. 2. The internal regulation of the following matters shall be practically and systematically prepared. (1) Matters related to acceptance and storage of the raw materials. (2) Matters related to the mixing rate of the raw materials. (3) Matters related to the manufacturing and processing methods. (4) Matters related to machines and tools used for manufacturing and processing. (5) Matters related to the shipping. (6) Matters necessary for a certification organization (meaning the registered certification organization or the registered foreign certification organization; being the same hereafter.) to properly carry out the affairs such as confirmation 3. The quality control shall be properly performed based on the internal regulations, and the management record and the documents to be the ground of the control record shall be in the custody for 1 year or more from the drafting of the record. 3 4. The internal regulations shall be reviewed properly and periodically and shall be well known by the employees. III. Qualification and Number of Persons in Charge of Quality Control 1. The qualification and number of the quality control staff. One or more persons satisfying either of the following requirements shall be appointed as the quality control staff. (1) A person who acquired the credits of school subjects related to the manufacturing or processing of the foods in a university under the School Education Law (Law No.26 of 1947) or a school equal to or higher than a professional school under the former Professional School Ordinance (Imperial Ordinance No.61 of 1903) and graduated therefrom or a person who has the attainments equal to or higher than those and also has the experience engaged in the manufacturing and processing of the foods, or the test research for 1 year or more. (2) A person who graduated from a high school or a secondary education school under the School Education Law or a secondary school under the former Secondary School Ordinance (Imperial Ordinance No.36 of 1943) or a person who has the attainments equal to or higher than those and also has the experience engaged in the manufacturing or the test research of the foods for 2 years or more. (3) A person who has the experience engaged in the manufacturing or the test research of the foods for 3 years or more. 2. Quality control manager A quality control manager shall be elected out of the quality control staffs who 4 completed (including persons who are expected to finish the curriculum concerned in a year) the curriculum related to the quality control concerning the organic agricultural product processed foods in a course designated by the certification organization (called the “course” hereafter). IV. Grading Organization and its Execution Method 1. Grading organization A grading department shall be provided with the organization and right substantially independent from the manufacturing department and the business department. 2. Execution methods for grading (1) To practically and systematically prepare the regulations related to the grading (called the “grading regulations” hereafter) of the following matters. a. Matters related to the inspection of the production process. b. Matters related to the labelling of the grading. c. Matters related to the shipping or disposal of the consignment after the grading. d. Matters related to the drafting and custody of the record. e. Matters necessary for the proper execution of the affairs such as the confirmation by the certification organization. (2) The grading and the affairs related to the labelling of the grading shall be properly conducted based on the grading regulations and consequently the labelling of the grading is confirmed properly attached thereto. (3) To surely confirm that the name is properly labelled by the method 5 prescribed in Article 5 of the Japanese Agricultural Standard. V. Qualification and Number of Persons in Charge of Grading A grading staff or more who satisfy the provisions of either of III-1-(1), (2), or (3) and completed (including those who are expected to complete the curriculum in a year) the curriculum related to the grading concerning the organic agricultural product processed foods in the course shall be appointed.