Audits/Certification/GFSI

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Through a voluntary pilot program, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found four major third-party industry auditing standards for food safety to be in alignment with both the Preventive Controls for Human Foods Rule and the Produce Safety Rule, which are FDA regulations that were issued as part of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) implementation.

The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) recently announced its new online Produce Safety Handbook for Buyers. The handbook is formatted as an interactive website that clarifies the complex landscape of food safety regulations and standards across different states in the U.S. Northeast.

Food safety auditing has progressed a great deal in the last three decades, but it is clear that it has yet to keep up with changing needs, expectations, and technological developments. This article explores the envisioned future of auditing, including how to develop talent and retain auditors, the qualities of a successful auditor, the importance of calibration among auditing teams, developments in technology and tools for auditors, and changes in processes with certification bodies, among other aspects.

The Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS) Food Safety Issue 9 contains new requirements that certified manufacturers will be expected to comply with by February 1, 2023.

The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) published a guidance that clarifies the differences between mandatory requirements of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and multiple U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) audits.

In a recent webinar and Q&A document, The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) provided an update on its Auditor Training and Development project.

In honor of World Food Safety Day 2022, ISO has published new standards—ISO 22003 Parts 1 and 2—for the accreditation of certification bodies that audit food safety management systems or food safety systems.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, vendor certification has been top of mind for the food industry given the increased requirements and oversight of third-party audits and FDA regulations to better accommodate public health. This article will give a baseline understanding of the regulatory requirements between U.S. federal bodies (FDA, USDA) in comparison to widely known GFSI standards (BRC, SQF, FSSC 22200). Additionally, it will provide insight into key control areas for mitigating risk and adapting business in accordance with the growing emphasis on the importance of food safety culture.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to pivot to virtual food safety audits and inspections, but there has been reluctance to sustain this model of remote evaluations. Recently, advances have emerged in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and development of novel approaches to auditing that have worked to bridge the gap and help virtual audits and inspections move closer to gaining equivalency to traditional onsite formats.

Dr. Markus Lipp, Senior Food Safety Officer at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), spoke with Food Safety Magazine during the GFSI conference on the collaborative work that FAO, GFSI, and other organizations are doing to strengthen food safety and sustainability worldwide.