Features Business Food Safety
CHC re-brands food safety program

March 10, 2009, Ottawa, Ont. – The Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC)
has unveiled a new name for its On-Farm Food Safety Program.

March 10, 2009, Ottawa, Ont. – The Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) has unveiled a new name for its On-Farm Food Safety Program.

The program will be known as CanadaGAP – On-Farm Food Safety for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables. The program consists of national food safety standards and a certification system for the safe production, storage and packing of fresh fruit and vegetables.

In 2009, the Canadian On-Farm Food Safety standards for fruit and vegetables will be benchmarked to internationally recognized Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) requirements and GlobalGAP standards. The objective is to establish equivalence in the global marketplace while re-branding the program as CanadaGAP. Once benchmarked, CanadaGAP will have equivalent status to other internationally recognized food safety programs around the world.

GlobalGAP is an international body based in Germany that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe. GlobalGAP certification is carried out by more than 100 independent and accredited certification bodies in more than 80 countries. It is open to all producers worldwide. GFSI is co-ordinated by CIES – The Food Business Forum based in Belgium. It maintains a benchmarking process to promote standardization among food safety programs.

“This is an exciting development for the On-Farm Food Safety Program,” said Paul LeBlanc, chair of the Food Safety Management Committee at the CHC. “CanadaGAP-certified producers and packers will be positioned to meet customer requirements for compliance with GFSI or GlobalGAP standards.”