Technical news library
Technical news – Core solutions entries
On this page you can find key entries and excerpts from the GLOBALG.A.P. technical newsletter that relate to our core solutions, excluding Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA). Technical newsletter entries relating to IFA can be found on a separate page.
Sections in this page
Looking for technical news related to Integrated Farm Assurance, GRASP, and others?
Technical news related to our Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard can be found on the IFA technical news page.
All the technical news related to our add-ons such as GRASP and SPRING can be found under technical news for add-ons.
All core solutions: Technical news
We have received reports that the sublicense and certification agreements cannot be digitally signed by two parties. Our investigation shows that this occurs when the document is opened in a web browser and not in an Adobe application. In order for the document and signature fields to work correctly, please always download the file and open it in an Adobe application, not in a web browser.
Chain of Custody: Technical news
GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody (CoC) general regulations, section 4.4.1 c)
For fruits and vegetables and for combinable crops, the CoC certification scope may include products that undergo processing methods such as cutting, slicing, dicing, freezing, and/or quick freezing (IQF), deshelling and drying so long as the original product remains visibly recognizable.
We would like to clarify that the activities listed in the CoC general regulations are examples, not an exhaustive list. Other processes, such as hulling nuts, drying, or removing pomegranate arils, are also included within the CoC scope, provided the original product remains visibly recognizable.
We offer here a summary of activities, along with the corresponding auditor qualification requirements, to provide greater clarity to all parties involved in CoC certification:
| Activities of unit of certification of aquaculture products | Postharvest activities, including transport from grow-out up to slaughter steps (P&Cs under section CoC-SC 6 applicable) | Postharvest activities, after slaughter steps (P&Cs under section CoC-SC 6 not applicable) | Postharvest activities, after slaughter steps (P&Cs under section CoC-SC 6 not applicable) |
| Standard | CoC | CoC | CoC through IFS |
| Auditor qualifications | a) CoC auditor qualifications, independent of scope b) IFA aquaculture auditor qualifications | a) CoC auditor qualifications, independent of scope | a) CoC auditor qualifications, IFS approved |
We would like to inform you that CBs auditing against CoC v6.1 shall seek to become CoC accredited according to ISO/IEC 17065 and can use the accreditation mark on the CoC certificate they issue.
CBs auditing against CoC through BRCGS, CoC through IFS or CoC through QS is not mandatory to be CoC accredited to ISO/IEC 17065, and they cannot use the accreditation mark on the GLOBALG.A.P. CoC certificates they issue.
Compound Feed Manufacturing: Technical news
We would like to inform you that the attribute “Sections covered by certificate” was renamed “Additional sections covered by certificate.” The value 1 (“Additional voluntary environmental and social governance requirements included”) was removed.
The existing values are:
2 = Environmental permits
3 = Fair operating practices
4 = Manufacturing process – Energy
5 = Manufacturing process – Emissions
6 = Manufacturing process – Water
7 = Manufacturing process – Waste
8 = Manufacturing process – Effluents
9 = Labor practices – Health and safety
10 = Labor practices – Equal and fair treatment
11 = Local community engagement
Under “Additional sections covered by the certificate,” CBs can choose the additional modules their registered producers implement in the scope of CFM certification.
Produce Handling Assurance: Technical news
Previously communicated on 4 September 2025.
In response to challenges onboarding new auditors, this update addresses lead audit experience requirements.
Produce Handling Assurance (PHA) version 1.2-1, Annex III.2, section 2.1 requires a minimum of 10 days in management systems. PHA v2 additionally includes: “Practical auditing experience of at least 10 GLOBALG.A.P. Option 1 CB farm audits (IFA or Harmonized Produce Safety (HPS) for FV, CC, hops (HOP)) including a product handling unit audit are alternatively accepted instead of the above requirement.”
We have already drafted, received public comment on, and approved this change to expand the qualification and therefore are implementing the change immediately, including for auditors that apply for PHA version 1.2-1.
Previous wording:
3.1 Lead assessor training
a) Practical auditing experience of minimum 10 days in management systems (e.g.: ISO 9000, ISO 14000, ISO 22000, OSHAS 18000, BRC Food, IFS Food, SQF, PrimusGFS, previous GLOBALG.A.P. Option 2 or Option 4, FSSC 22000 Feed), or PHA (this standard). This does not include witnessing or observing of audits but includes being witnessed or observed as auditor-in-training.
Change in v2, effective now:
13.3.1 Lead auditor training and auditing experience
a) Lead auditors shall have practical auditing experience of at least 10 days (audit days as described in the currently valid version of IAF MD5) in management systems (e.g., ISO/IEC 9000, ISO/IEC 14000, ISO/IEC 22000, OSHAS 18000, BRC Food, IFS Food, SQF, PrimusGFS, previous GLOBALG.A.P. Option 2 or Option 4 standards, FSSC 22000 Feed) or PHA (this standard). This does not include witnessing or observing audits but includes being witnessed or observed as a CB auditor-in-training.
Practical auditing experience of at least 10 GLOBALG.A.P. Option 1 CB farm audits (IFA or HPS FV, CC, HOP) including a product handling unit audit are alternatively accepted instead of the above requirement.
In addition, the GLOBALG.A.P. CB Academy offered an English-language course for PHA v1.2-1 on 21–23 October 2025. If you have any technical questions, please send an email to standard_support@agraya.com.
Harmonized Produce Safety Standard: Technical news
Previously communicated on 2 May 2024
We would like to remind you that according to the HPSS general regulations, section 5.2.3 d), “for producers with high-risk products, at least 20% of the inspections of the selected producer members or production sites shall be unannounced.” Also, according to the HPSS general regulations section 5.3.2.1 g), “at least 25% of the square root sample of the actual number of sites or producers shall be randomly selected,” and section 5.2.3 e), “the 25% of the selected producer members or sites shall be selected randomly.”
We hereby ask you to indicate in the audit reports which producer group members/production sites were randomly selected and audited unannounced, following the requirements above.
Crops for Processing: Technical news
As communicated at the time that the Crops for Processing (CfP) standard was launched, CBs shall be finally approved for IFA v5.2 FV and provisionally approved for IFA v5.2 CC.
With IFA v6 Smart, CBs are approved per scope rather than product category.
CBs applying for approval for CfP must be finally approved for IFA v6 Smart for the plants scope.
Accordingly, CB auditors must also be approved for IFA v6 Smart for the plants scope.
TR4 Biosecurity Standard: Technical news
News items from technical news editions published in Q4 2023 and beyond are published here. Please check the document center for technical news editions published prior to this.
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For technical support on GLOBALG.A.P. solutions, please contact us at standard_support@agraya.com.
For general questions, please contact us at customer_support@globalgap.org.