Hygiene Management in Food Manufacturing

In Japan, food businesses are generally required to operate under HACCP-based hygiene management. Full enforcement took effect in June 2021.

What HACCP is

Hazards across the production process are identified in advance, critical control points are established, and those points are monitored continuously.

Sampling finished product only tells you about what you sampled. Controlling the process prevents problems rather than detecting them afterward.

Control points for powdered drinks

Foreign material Metal detectors and X-ray inspection. Sorting also occurs at raw material intake.

Microorganisms Powder has low water activity, so microorganisms cannot multiply — dried foods sit at or below Aw 0.65, below the threshold for growth. Contamination at the raw material stage and moisture entering during processing still have to be prevented.

Allergen control When shared equipment also runs products containing milk components, inadequate cleaning causes carryover. Changeover procedures are defined.

Temperature and humidity High humidity during filling puts moisture into the powder immediately. Environmental control ties directly to shelf life.

On the agricultural side

Tea is a crop, so management begins in the field.

Pesticide residue limits apply, with testing before shipment. Export requires meeting the destination country's standards as well.

Matcha faces stricter conditions than brewed tea here. You consume the whole ground leaf, so limits apply to the leaf itself rather than to an infusion.

What labels tell you

Facility hygiene management does not appear on packaging.

What you get is manufacturer name, production facility code, best-before date. The presence of contact information matters in that it gives you someone to ask.

The household portion

However well a facility is run, conditions after opening are yours.

No wet spoons. Do not open a refrigerated container before it warms. Avoid humid storage. Those three cover most of it.