Food safety consultancy HACCP Australia has been sold to French certification and standards organisation Afnor Groupe, through its international arm Afnor International.
The deal includes both HACCP Australia and sister company HACCP International, bringing the two businesses under the ownership of Afnor International as it expands its footprint in the Australasian and Pacific markets.
HACCP Australia, founded in 1999 and based in North Sydney, provides food safety and technical services to food manufacturers, government agencies, caterers, retailers and insurance underwriters. The company has built its reputation on in-house food science capability and practical experience in industrial food safety.
HACCP International operates as a JASANZ-accredited product certification body, certifying food-safe materials, products and services used in food handling and processing. The business has customers in 42 countries and has seen increasing demand from Europe in recent years.
Both companies were founded by Clive Withinshaw and Martin Stone and are used by a range of multinational food companies.
“We are looking forward to realising this market potential with our new partner, Afnor International,” said Stone. “The technical resources that Afnor brings will be of huge benefit both here in Australia and overseas.”
Afnor International operates in around 100 countries through 37 offices, providing certification and training services across sectors including food, quality, health and safety, environment and medical devices.
Further reading: How to rebuild brand trust after a product recall
