How much does HACCP certification costs? and why its important?

Last Updated on December 23, 2025 by Hafsa J.

HACCP certification costs

How much does HACCP certification costs? and why its important? The answer to this question is not as simple as you think. HACCP certification costs will vary based on who is performing the certification, what type of operation you have, and of course, how much it will cost you to fix any identified non-conformities.

Starting from the top, there are two HACCP certifiers in the United States. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has a voluntary program that allows plants to be certified by their own meat inspectors at no charge. Of course, you still have to pay your plant’s inspection fees to FSIS, but your company can have its own inspector do the HACCP audit for free.

The other certifier is the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA doesn’t charge you to be certified, but they do charge nearly $2,000 a day for their services (during a HACCP audit). They are the maximum number of people that can do an audit on your facility at any one time. If you are in a small plant and only have one inspector,

it will probably take up to six weeks to complete an audit. All food facilities in the US with production or import over $500,000 per year must be certified by either USDA or FDA as CFS or PHACCS. You can choose to be HACCP certified with either agency. You do not have to choose which one you want to be certified by, but it is a good business sense for small companies to register with FDA and larger companies to register with USDA since the EPA requires that these two agencies approve what type of auditing methods you will use.

This is how much HACCP certification costs for you as an individual:

The total cost will probably come in at $5,000-$6,000 depending on who does the audit, and what type of operation your company has. Your total cost may increase as time goes on depending on how they do their audits. And there are economies of scale for both the auditor and auditee. The auditor cannot take hours out of his day on every individual product that you produce; that would be ridiculous. Instead, he will design a system that has one audit at the end of each day, which can remind him about all your products and tell him if they have hit their safe levels of bacteria and other things.

TIP: Most large companies have their own audits done by someone from the company that has HACCP training. This is a good option for small companies since not only is it more economical but they get an idea of what needs to be done to improve the HACCP program. This can also assist them in getting their own auditor.

The key is that you have someone from your company do the HACCP training and then get him (or her) to come on board as a certified food safety representative, which can save you money by not having to pay them to audit your company every year. All you have to do is pay for everything they do during the certification process, of course including the training portion which could be reduced in price by about 30% in many cases.

Hafsa J.

👋 Hi, I’m HAFSA, and for the past 12 years, I’ve been on a journey to
make ISO standards less intimidating and more approachable for everyone.

Whether it’s ISO 9001, ISO 22000, or the cosmetics-focused ISO 22716, I’ve spent my career
turning complex jargon into clear, actionable steps that businesses can actually use.

I’m not here to call myself an expert—I prefer “enthusiast” because I truly love what I do.
There’s something incredibly rewarding about helping people navigate food safety and quality management systems
in a way that feels simple, practical, and even enjoyable.

When I’m not writing about standards, you’ll probably find me playing Piano 🎹, connecting with people, or diving into my next big project💫.

I’m an engineer specialized in the food and agricultural industry
I have a Master’s in QHSE management and over 12 years of experience as a Quality Manager
I’ve helped more than 15 companies implement ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 22716, GMP, and other standards
My clients include food producers, cosmetics manufacturers, laboratories, and service companies
I believe quality systems should be simple, useful, and efficient.