Food Safety Magazine, August/September 2010

Produce GAPs Harmonization Initiative.
The approach offered by the Council
was to begin with a Steering Committee
of influential produce business leaders,
particularly those representing organiza-
tions that were requiring their suppliers
to have specific food safety audits, and
• Requirements that consider all micro-
biological, chemical and physical haz-
ards reasonably likely to occur,
consistent with those addressed in
FDA regulatory guidances;

“If the food safety standards and checklists were harmonized across the different groups, then it should make it easier for customers to compare audit results...”

assure that they would agree to accept a
harmonized standard if it was developed.
Leaders from over 30 organizations
agreed to serve on the Steering Commit-
tee, representing major produce suppli-
ers, processors, retailers and foodservice
companies. Led by Chiquita North
America President Brian Kocher, the
Committee agreed to the proposal but
with some caveats. They formalized their
goal of “one audit by any credible third
party, acceptable to all buyers” with the
following vision: “Develop a harmo-
nized food safety standard and checklist
for GAP audits, and globally acceptable
auditing process, necessary to protect
consumers from potential hazards that
may contaminate produce at that stage
of the supply chain, and that will build
efficiencies into the supplier audit
process.” For the Initiative to be success-
ful, they agreed that the standard should
be focused on food safety and pre-farm
gate operations, consistent with the
scope of the FDA GAPs Guide, and
identified the following parameters:
• Clearly defined requirements that
minimize opportunity for misunder-
standing, misinterpretation and “stan-
dards creep” by operations and
auditors;