12 April 2006 - Growing concerns about BSE and bird flu have driven Japanese consumers and consequently restaurant operators and retailers to pay more attention to food safety. As a result, food manufacturers are hastily moving to gain ISO22000 food safety international certification, reports the Japanese press.
Food companies hope that the certification, set by the International Organization for Standardization in September 2005, will help them secure orders from restaurants and supermarkets.
According to the ‘Nihon Keizai Shimbun’, UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.'s coffee plant in Kobe recently gained the certification. The newspaper adds that UCC intends to give priority to ISO-certified companies when selecting suppliers.
Furthermore, Nisshin Foods Co., a unit of Nisshin Seifun Group Inc., is reportedly aiming to obtain certification for its headquarters and two manufacturing facilities in order to enhance the safety of its products.