GlobalG.A.P. says that its Integrated Farm Assurance standards, version 6.0 GFS, published in 2022, has received official recognition from the Global Food Safety Initiative.

The honor highlights GlobalG.A.P.’s dedication to upholding high standards of food safety across the entire supply chain, according to a news release.

GlobalG.A.P. is a brand of smart-farm assurance solutions developed by FoodPLUS GmbH in Cologne, Germany, with cooperation from producers, retailers and other stakeholders across the food industry. These solutions include a range of standards for safe, socially and environmentally responsible farming practices.

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The most widely used GlobalG.A.P. standard is Integrated Farm Assurance, applicable to fruit and vegetables, aquaculture, floriculture and more, according to the release. This standard also forms the basis for the GGN label — the consumer label for certified, responsible farming and transparency.

Scope of recognition

GFSI formally recognized version 6.0 GFS of the Integrated Farm Assurance standards for plants and aquaculture. The recognition ensures that responsible production processes certified according to the GlobalG.A.P. standards adhere to globally acknowledged food safety and environmental sustainability standards, the release said.

Effective from Aug. 6, these standards meet the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements v2020:

• Integrated Farm Assurance Smart/GFS version 6.0 — Principles and criteria for aquaculture (finfish, crustaceans, molluscs and seaweed)
  • AII: Farming of fish and seafood
• Integrated Farm Assurance GFS Plants version 6.0 — Principles and criteria for fruits and vegetables
  • BI: Farming of plants (other than grains and pulses)
  • BIII: Pre-process handling of plant products

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Transition information

For stakeholders currently certified under Integrated Farm Assurance v5.4-1-GFS, their certifications remain valid and GFSI-benchmarked for the duration of the certificate, the release said. GlobalG.A.P. said audits for Integrated Farm Assurance v5.4-1 may continue until Dec. 31, 2024, with issued certificates remaining valid for their full life cycle.

Starting from Jan. 1, 2025, all Integrated Farm Assurance audits for aquaculture and fruit and vegetables will be conducted against Integrated Farm Assurance v6 Smart or Integrated Farm Assurance v6 GFS, the latter being necessary for GFSI recognition, the release said, adding that audits to Integrated Farm Assurance v5.4-1 will no longer be possible after this date.

“We are excited about maintaining the recognition by GFSI and look forward to continuing to uphold the highest standards of food safety in collaboration with our stakeholders,” Elmé Coetzer-Boersma, managing director for GlobalG.A.P., care of FoodPLUS, said in the release.

By The Packer Staff 

Source: thepacker.com