Through CERT ID, the Alliance will offer multiple food safety certification services (BRC, SQF, Global G.A.P., ISO 22000) and training programs. Through Genetic ID, customers will gain access to a portfolio of pathogen, allergen, authenticity, speciation and GMO testing services. FoodChain ID will offer consulting and advisory services on international non-GMO regulatory policies and help companies obtain Non-GMO Project Verification for products sold in North America, or Ohne Gentechnik and Danube Soy certification in the European Union.

Other Alliance members include the California Certified Organic Farmers, the leading organic certifier in the U.S; the Orthodox Union, the world’s leading provider of kosher certification; and The Acheson Group LLC, global experts in managing operational, regulatory and reputational risks for the food industry along with crisis and recall management. The Alliance will also include laboratory partners providing a full array of chemical and nutritional testing services.

“As regulatory requirements and market demands on food companies continue to grow, QA departments often find themselves struggling to keep up with the rigors of compliance,” says Ron Stakland, Global ID Group vice president of business development. “From food safety to sustainability to specialized niches like gluten-free and kosher, much of the work for assuring safe and compliant food products and ingredients falls on the QA department. At the same time, the need to stay competitive and keep costs in check has never been greater. The purpose of the Alliance is to offer QA managers a simpler way to manage multiple services.”

Customers of the Food Quality Alliance will benefit in several important ways: assistance in managing multiple programs, stacking multiple audits, optimized scheduling, access to SupplyTrak compliance management software and discounts on bundled services.

Also, there will be a special panel discussion held at the Natural Products Expo West 2015 trade show on Friday March 6, 2015 from 3 pm to 4 pm PST in the Marriott's Platinum Ballroom 3. The title of the discussion is "Non-GMO and Beyond!".