USA 31/07/2023

GLOBALG.A.P. aligns with FDA's produce safety rule

 

The GLOBALG.A.P’s IFA standard v5.4-1-GFS for fruit and veg, along with the FSMA PSR add-on v1.3, has been officially recognized by the FDA. This recognition means that both producers in the United States and those outside the country can now show their commitment to safe and trustworthy food by adopting their IFA standard along with the FSMA PSR add-on.

FoodPLUS GmbH, one of the leading authorities in food safety, believes that this recognition will lead to more efficient food safety auditing and smoother supply chain operations for producers and US importers who rely on their GLOBALG.A.P. farm assurance solutions. Foreign producers adopting the company’s IFA standard with the FSMA PSR add-on will also demonstrate their dedication to providing safe food for export to the United States.

Worth to point out that the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) officially recognized the GLOBALG.A.P’s IFA standard in 2022, reflecting the Dutch government's food safety objectives. With government recognition, its solutions enable producers to implement safer and more responsible farming practices and streamline trade by ensuring compliance with government rules under a single certification system.

The United States, being the world's leading importer of fresh produce, receives goods from over 125 countries. To assess product quality and safety, buyers, importers, and receiving facilities often use third-party audits. In 2020, the FDA launched a voluntary pilot program to evaluate the alignment of third-party food safety standards with FSMA rules. This program aims to reduce redundancy and streamline auditing by recognizing private standards that meet the FDA's Preventive Controls for Human Food and PSR requirements.

With this official recognition, fruit and vegetable producers and exporters in the United States can become "FSMA-ready" by adopting the IFA standard along with the FSMA PSR add-on. This will be especially beneficial for US producers, as well as those in Mexico and Canada, who deal with a high trade volume with the United States.