# Motivations for Voluntary Participation in the Food Sanitation and Safety Management System, Patterns of Non-Conformance Reports, and Recertification Improvement Trends Among Food Businesses in Taiwan

## TL;DR

This study explores why food businesses in Taiwan voluntarily participate in certification programs and finds that international trade demands are a key driver.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific non-conformance patterns and shows how recertification improves food safety standards over time.

## Key findings

- Health and nutrition businesses have the highest voluntary certification rates and average 5.65 non-conformance reports.
- Meat processing businesses face issues with environmental cleanliness as a main non-conformance.
- Recertification from 2016 to 2023 reduced non-conformance reports by more than half.

## Abstract

This study investigates the motivations behind food businesses voluntary participation in certification programs and analyzes their non-conformance reports (NCRs). Health and nutrition food businesses lead in voluntary certification, averaging 5.65 NCRs per business, with common non-conformances primarily related to miscalibrated instruments. Meat processing businesses follow closely, with their main non-conformance being inadequate maintenance of environmental cleanliness. The primary motivation for seeking certification among these food businesses is driven by the requirements of international trade and export markets. Furthermore, from 2016 to 2023, businesses undergoing recertification demonstrated a significant reduction in NCRs, decreasing from an average of 11.17 to 5.17. Certification not only enhances food hygiene and safety management but also facilitates the efficient acquisition of export health certificates from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, we encourage all food businesses to engage in certification programs to elevate their hygiene and safety standards and thereby contribute to food safety assurance.