The new GLOBALG.A.P. Produce Handling Assurance Standard (PHA) covers pre-process production steps after the point of harvest for crops including cooling, packing, re-packing, handling, and storage of produce for human consumption. The PHA may not be used to certify products significantly transformed from the original whole state or foods that are processed.
The GLOBALG.A.P. Produce Handling Assurance Standard:
- Will be available to all qualified produce packing operations meeting the scope definition in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean.
- Will be available to produce handling operations worldwide meeting the scope definition that pack and handle produce in an open-shed environment.
- May be used in conjunction with the IFA Fruit and Vegetable Standard audit to reduce audit redundancy and cost, particularly in cases where a grower is packing their own produce and has previously required two separate audits.
- Incorporates USA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements from both the Produce Safety Rule and the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule, as appropriate.
- Will aid operations in identifying FSMA requirements that must be addressed at the farm level
- Enables generation of audit reports non-conformity summaries, corrective action reports and certificates that can be provided to retailers and other value-chain participants as evidence of an operation’s efforts toward FSMA implementation.
GLOBALG.A.P. will apply for GFSI recognition for the PHA in 2019. GFSI requires that a new standard be operational for one year before it can apply for benchmarking. GLOBALG.A.P. anticipates GFSI benchmarking of the PHA standard in 2020. In the interim, the GLOBALG.A.P. North America office is in active dialogue with retailers to discuss acceptance of the standard while GFSI benchmarking preparation and review efforts are ongoing. If you have specific questions regarding retailer outreach efforts in support of this standard, please contact Roberta Anderson at anderson@globalgap.org.
Please contact standard@globalgap.org for more information about this new standard.
GLOBALG.A.P. extends its sincere gratitude to the many people who contributed to the development of this standard!
Focus Group Members:
USA
Donna Lynn Browne - Naturipe Farms LLC
Ximena Gonzalez - Naturipe Farms LLC
Josh Edge - SCS Global Services
Kristie Gilford - Robinson Fresh
Hector Pedraza - Robinson Fresh
Walter Ram - Guiamarra Companies
Jacqui Gordon - Washington State Tree Fruit Association
Amanda May - Wonderful Citrus
Jennifer McEntire - United Fresh Produce Association
Keith Refsnider - Driscoll’s
Matt Regusci - WQS Food Verification
Enrique Urrutia - WQS Food Verification
Gabriela Sandoval - AG Food Safety Solutions
Kelly Jones - AG Food Safety Solutions
Mark Shakespeare - Walmart Inc.
Canada
Greg Palmer - Costco Wholesale Canada
Chile
Ricardo Adonis - ASOEX FDF
Early Contributors:
Gary Rohman, Farm to Fork, LLC
Steve Jack, Farm Fresh Assurance, Inc.
Astrid Goplen, FOODCHAIN ID
Rob Koch, Apple Leaf
Public Consultation 1:
Carman McKinney: Roy Farms Inc.
Astrid Goplen: FOODCHAIN ID
Ricardo Adonis, ASOEX FDF
Josh Edge: SCS Global Services
Grregory Palmer, Costco Wholesale Canada
Gary Rohman, Farm to Fork, LLC.
Steve Jack, Farm Fresh Assurance, Inc
Jennifer McEntire, United Fresh
Public Consultation 2:
Mariana Mrozek, PAI S.A.
Richard Yudin, University of Florida
Stephan Imbery, Agrochron GmbH
Antonio Restrepo: L & M Companies Inc.
Josh Edge: SCS Global Services
Sara Brinkley, Peri & Sons Farms, Nevada Fresh Pak
Trial Audits:
CBs
SCS Global Services
FOODCHAIN ID (Cert-ID)
Auditors
Pablo Elliott
Josh Edge
Rob Koch
Rebecca Anderson
Participating Facilities
Quail H Farms LLC, Sweet potatoes, with Gabriela Sandoval, Darren Barfield
Mininger Farms, Sweet potatoes, with Gabriela Sandoval, Bernardo Garcia M.B.A.
Bailey Farms, Peppers, Tomatillo, Squash, with Patty Sanchez
Peri & Sons Farms, Nevada Fresh Pak, Onions with Sara Brinkley
Harvest Queen, Onions
Rogers Orchards, Apples, Pears and Stone Fruit (Peaches)