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CERTIFICATION SERVICES

Food Safety Services - GLOBALG.A.P. and PrimusGFS

Food safety by and for organic

Apply for Food Safety with CCOF

Want to produce safe, organic produce while still protecting the environment?

Are your buyers requiring a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked food safety certification, or requesting third party audit reports prior to approving a sale?

Do you need to bring your operation into compliance with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)?

 

If so, we can help you get there. CCOF brings our certification expertise, service, integrity, and innovation to food safety for farms, greenhouses, harvest crews, as well as cooling, storage and distribution, packing facilities, and some processing operations. CCOF’s GLOBALG.A.P. and PrimusGFS programs have multiple certification standards to meet the needs of different buyers. With CCOF, you can work with one auditor to obtain food safety and organic certifications that work in harmony.

CCOF is accredited to offer GLOBALG.A.P. IFA, PHA, and HPSS standards, and PrimusGFS.

GLOBALG.A.P.

  • The IFA standard is the top tier GLOBALG.A.P. standard and is GFSI benchmarked. It is great for those exporting outside of the US and especially to the European Union. IFA certification includes topics above and beyond food safety, like worker welfare and environmental sustainability.

    • Hops (HO) (IFA v5.3-GFS HO): This sub-scope is specifically designed for the unique requirements of the hops industry. (CCOF is provisionally approved for this sub-scope and can offer a limited number of certificates until we gain full accreditation.)

     

    • Plant Propagation Material (PPM) (IFA v5.2 PPM): This sub-scope is specifically designed for the seedling and plant propagation industry. CCOF is one of only two certification bodies offering this certification in the United States. (CCOF is provisionally approved for this sub-scope and can offer a limited number of certificates until we gain full accreditation.)

     

    • IFA v6 Smart: GLOBALG.A.P. is transitioning to version 6, which will be mandatory beginning January 1, 2024. CCOF is now offering (select, non-mandatory) v6 Smart audits before 2024 and will be offering v6 Smart starting January 2024.

     

    • IFA v6 GFS: Once v6 GFS obtains GFSI benchmarking (estimated to be late 2024) CCOF will begin offering it for those who require an GFSI benchmarked version. We are not offering this standard until GFSI benchmarking (estimated late 2024).

  • The HPSS is a standard developed by United Fresh and used by GLOBALG.A.P. and other organizations like the USDA. The HPSS is a great, food safety focused certification for those producing for the domestic market, however, CCOF has seen an HPSS certificate used by producers exporting. This program is also GFSI benchmarked.

  • If you are an individual producer or group of individuals with multiple production locations, this program may streamline inspection. Contact us with your operations details to see if this will be a good fit for you.

The IFA standard is the top tier GLOBALG.A.P. standard and is GFSI benchmarked. It is great for those exporting outside of the US and especially to the European Union. IFA certification includes topics above and beyond food safety, like worker welfare and environmental sustainability.

Produce Handling Assurance (PHA)

 

A certification for stand-alone packinghouses who require a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audit and certificate. The PHA program covers pre-process production steps after crop harvest such as cooling, packing, re-packing, handling, and storage of produce for human consumption (see the covered activities flyer here). Complex processing, slicing and dicing, or any post-harvest activities like drying, cannot be included in this certificate.

PrimusGFS

  • Previously known as “Ranch”, this module recognizes the GAPs on your farm. This includes employee practices, efforts to reduce adjacent land risks, water quality, agricultural inputs, etc.

  • Previously known as “Greenhouse”, this module was designed to recognize different growing practices used globally (i.e. plastic greenhouses, glass facilities, vertical growing, hydroponics, etc.)

  • Due to unique global practices and to different stakeholder requirements and/or regulations regarding the harvesting of produce, this module is designed to cover safe harvesting and handling practices for harvest crews.

  • Please note, all GAP modules require the Food Safety Management System (FSMS) module, which focuses on supplier control, document control, traceability, food safety management commitments, etc.

Previously known as “Ranch”, this module recognizes the GAPs on your farm. This includes employee practices, efforts to reduce adjacent land risks, water quality, agricultural inputs, etc.

GMPs for Facilities: 

 

This module is designed to recognize the specific GMPs for either packing-houses, processors, cooling/cold storage facilities, and storage and distribution facilities. This module complies with current global food safety practices and helps your company understand the requirements to be in compliance with international laws and regulations.

 

  • *All GMP modules require the Food Safety Management System (FSMS) module, which focuses on supplier control, document control, traceability, food safety management commitments, etc.
  • **All GMP modules also require the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) module.

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Food Safety Service Fees

CCOF is committed to maintaining stable certification fees and being completely transparent about the costs of certification. See the following Manuals for full fee information or contact us today for a quote

FSMA & Food Safety Resources