Food Safety and Reliability

Basic Approach

Ensuring that we provide safe, reliable products is naturally our responsibility as a food manufacturer. Prima Meat Packers Group works on this as a material issue. We will continue strict food safety management, primarily through FSSC 22000, to create products that are even safer and more reliable.

Promotion Structure

In-house quality standards that exceed regulatory requirements

Each year, we offer an ever greater range of processed food products, not only hams and sausages. As well as meeting regulatory requirements, we have gone the extra mile in ensuring food safety by establishing in-house manufacturing and quality standards for each product category. We also conduct yearly management reviews to make sure that these standards remain relevant and valid.

  1. Product development

    Ensure product is safe (e.g., check allergens/microbes). Ensure labeling is legally compliant and specs are accurate.

  2. Procurement

    Check level of microbes, residual agrochemicals, vet drugs, allergens in raw materials

  3. Production

    Ensure hygienic production flow. Use microbiological and physico-chemical testing to confirm compliance with standards.

  4. Distribution

    Manage temperature at all stages of distribution (storage, transportation, delivery). Keep shipping records to achieve traceability.

Developing a system of food safety management

Guided by our Food Safety Policy, we have incorporated standards such as FSSC 22000.

Internal audit of food safety

We internally audit group production plants to verify their compliance with food-related regulatory requirements and our in-house standards. For group businesses that have obtained certifications such as FSSC 22000, we monitor their compliance with our in-house standards and their compliance with the requirements of the food safety system (as well as the effectiveness thereof ). We also require each of these businesses to commit to a process of continual improvement.

FSSC 22000 Certified Business Sites and Group Companies (As of August 31, 2024)

Business Sites Location
Prima Meat Packers, Ltd. Hokkaido Plant Shimizu-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido
Ibaraki Plant Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki
Mie Plant Iga-shi, Mie
Kagoshima Plant Ichikikushikino-shi, Kagoshima
Primaham Meat Factory, Co., Ltd. Tohoku Processing Center Sendai-shi, Miyagi
Kanto Processing Center Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa
Kansai Processing Center Osaka-shi, Osaka
Kamifurano Kobo Co., Ltd. Kamifurano-cho, Sorachi-gun, Hokkaido
Hokkaido Prima Meat Packers, Ltd. (Meat processing Sec. Meat sales Dept. ) Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Akita Prima Foods Co., Ltd. Yurihonjo-shi, Akita
Prime Foods Co., Ltd. Maebashi-shi, Gunma
PrimaFineFoods Co., Ltd. Yoshimi-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitama
Prima Luca Co., Ltd. Unzen-shi, Nagasaki
Japanmeat Co., Ltd. Miyakonojo-shi, Miyazaki
Nishi-Nippon Best Packer Co., Ltd. Ichikikushikino-shi, Kagoshima

Main Actions

Establishing traceability

We document each process from receipt of raw materials to production and shipment so that we trace what happens to the materials used in our products and to the additives and packaging. To test this system, we run traceability exercise once a year. We use a simulated scenario in this exercise. The scenario involves an issue in a raw meat shipment or other product shipment. We run the scenario from the perspective of whether it is possible to trace processes, raw materials and products.

Tackling allergens from the procurement stage to product packaging

To ensure confidence in our products, the Group takes steps to prevent allergen contamination when procuring raw materials and when developing and producing the products. At the end of production shifts, the machinery is taken apart and cleaned. Then, using our in-house kit for detecting allergens, we check to make sure that no areas were left uncleaned.

Moreover, our packaging displays allergen information for eight allergens that must be indicated, and 20 allergens that are recommended to be indicated, under Japanese law. Furthermore, our labels use a user-friendly design to present the information clearly. Allergen information is also available on our Japanese language website and in our customer service office in Japan.

Food safety and quality training

It is essential that our employees are aware about food safety and take all steps to eradicate risks. Accordingly, we provide regular food safety training to staff at each production site to ensure a high level of safety awareness.

We also provide specialist training for processes that are particularly critical to food safety. This training involves interview tests and quizzes covering, among other things, knowledge about the procedures in question and how to respond to emergencies. Only employees who demonstrate the required knowledge are permitted to engage in these critical processes.

Incorporating customer feedback

We have a customer service office ready to listen to customers’ feedback. Customers can contact the office by phone (toll-free), email, or post/fax.