What factory standards tell you — GHPs, HACCP, Thai FDA registration and cosmetic notification

Boxes carry several acronyms and numbers: GHPs, HACCP, a 13-digit food serial number, or a cosmetic notification number. Each certifies something different, and none certifies that a product works.

GHPs — basic factory hygiene

GHPs (Good Hygiene Practices) is the Codex name for what used to be called food GMP: clean premises and equipment, hygienic staff, compliant raw materials and water, pest control and record-keeping. In Thailand it is mandatory for every food manufacturer, including supplements, under MoPH Notification No. 420 (B.E. 2563) [1]. It tells you the factory has the basics to make food cleanly and safely — not anything about active amounts or efficacy.

HACCP — targeted hazard control

HACCP builds on GHPs by analysing the specific hazards in a product's process — microbial, chemical or physical — and setting critical control points, limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and records: seven principles in all [2]. HACCP must sit on a sound GHP foundation [2]. A factory with both has a system for anticipating what could go wrong and catching it first.

Food serial number — the supplement's licence

The 13-digit number under the Thai FDA mark means the supplement's formula, label and analyses were filed as required and permitted [3]; check it in the FDA product verification system [4]. It is tied to that product and manufacturer and confirms the label stays within permitted claims — but it does not mean each batch was tested by the FDA, nor that the FDA endorses efficacy.

Notification number — the cosmetic system

Cosmetics work differently: the manufacturer or importer must notify product details to the Thai FDA before making or importing for sale, and receives a notification number that must appear on the label [5]. Notification is a declaration that the formula contains no prohibited substances and meets the rules; responsibility for safety and quality stays with the notifier, and the FDA monitors after launch. The number means the product is in the system and traceable — not that it passed efficacy testing.

Compared with abroad

The US sets cGMP for dietary supplements in 21 CFR Part 111, covering identity testing of ingredients, product specifications, finished-batch testing and production records [6]. The common thread: factory standards certify process, not results.

What to look for

• Supplements: a verifiable serial number, a named manufacturer with factory standards (GHPs/HACCP), and a label with real amounts
• Cosmetics: a verifiable notification number, a full ingredient list, and claims within cosmetic scope
• Both: brands that state the factory and registration plainly are usually the ones not afraid of being checked

U-TURN is made in a GHPs and HACCP certified facility · Thai FDA 74-1-01357-5-0197. Biotin, zinc and selenium contribute to the maintenance of normal hair, for people who do not get enough from food each day · ONE PEN is a cosmetic notified with the Thai FDA — conditions the scalp and hair roots · less breakage when combing · hair looks fuller and weightier.