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Farm food safety standard recognized internationally

June 2, 2010, Ottawa,
Ont – After a thorough and intensive comparison process spanning almost a year,
CanadaGAP has been successfully benchmarked against the Global Food Safety
Initiative (GFSI) requirements.

June 2, 2010, Ottawa,
Ont – After a thorough and intensive comparison process spanning almost a year,
CanadaGAP has been successfully benchmarked against the Global Food Safety
Initiative (GFSI) requirements.

GFSI approval means CanadaGAP is recognized as
equivalent to other GFSI-benchmarked programs for the primary production
sector, such as SQF 1000, GlobalGAP and PrimusGFS, which many buyers require,
both in Canada and abroad. The CanadaGAP scheme has been recognized by GFSI for
certification options B and C and the recognition covers the common food safety
requirements that run through the six different commodity specific modules.

This recognition will allow farmers who are
certified to CanadaGAP to remain competitive and have continued access to
markets, which are increasingly demanding that companies implement a recognized
food safety program.

The benchmarking process
was completed using an internationally accepted set of food safety
requirements, based on industry best practice and sound science, which are
developed through a consensus building process by key stakeholders in the food
supply chain.

“The current widespread
use of this scheme in Canada … will contribute significantly to driving the
enhancement of food safety in the supply chain,” said Jürgen Matern, chairman
of the GFSI board and vice president of strategic quality management for Metro
AG.