What We Do
Audit-Friendly Approach
Program Development
A food safety program requires written policies and procedures that comply with audit criteria.
Audit Representation
Approach any audit with confidence knowing that you have the AGFSS team by your side.
Customer Compliance
Many retail customers require digital proof of food safety certification and may require completion of questionnaires or additional documentation.
Our Approach
We help you find compliance within your existing processes and procedures. Then we make it easy to stay compliant by breaking it down into manageable pieces.
Where your business is out of compliance, we’ll craft custom solutions, then help implement them. Ongoing support prevents clients from ever failing to meet food safety compliance requirements again.
Training
Ensure your team receives full annual worker and food safety training, and help them expand their food safety knowledge and skills through frequent “tailgate” meetings. We will work together to make sure all team members understand and make food safety a part of their everyday work culture.
Program Management
Make sure you don’t ever fall out of compliance. Helping clients focus on their passions is our passion. Developing and organizing our clients’ food safety programs keeps them compliant without draining resources.
Audit
Our job is to provide you peace of mind that the audit process will go smoothly. We’ll help you prepare, provide support during, and assist in implementing corrective actions if deficiencies are found.
Agriculture Products
The number of agricultural products we keep compliant speaks to our success with operations just like yours.
Cherries
Apricots
Onions
Garlic
Cantaloupe / Melons
Sweetpotatoes
Walnuts
Broccoli
Almonds
Blueberries
Pears
Programs We Service
Everyone understands the value of someone’s word. Certification and Regulatory bodies check to see if you’re practicing what your policies and procedures say you’re doing.
Certification bodies have varying requirements for audit registration, auditing procedures, and corrective action procedures. As the liaison between the certification body and your company, we bridge the gap between considering a food safety audit and receiving your certification.
GLOBALG.A.P.
According to GLOBALG.A.P.’s website, their motivation is to positively impact the world by providing solutions to global problems faced by agricultural supply chains. GLOBALG.A.P. offers 3 main products with an option to add additional criteria to meet your internal or customer specification requirements.
GLOBALG.A.P. certifies more than 700 products in more than 135 countries and offers certification at farm and facility levels through standards like Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) and Produce Handling Assurance (PHA). These and other GLOBALG.A.P. standards are benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and are widely accepted by retail buyers.
GLOBALG.A.P. offers the use of its GGN consumer label to show that a certified product was farmed in line with responsible farming practices.
Your current practices likely meet the majority of existing required food safety requirements. Experience guides what it takes to place a quality, safe product onto shelves, but translating what you’re already doing into what an audit standard requires is a different task we’re uniquely qualified to do.
primusGFS™
PrimusGFS offers a flexible module system that allows your operation to tailor the scope of your audit. Primus also offers standard audits, but the GFS audits for GAP (farm & harvest), and GMP (packinghouse & cold storage) are benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative and are globally accepted.
PrimusGFS audits now require a corrective action to close out every nonconformance found during the audit in order to be certified.
PrimusGFS audits begin and end in a cloud auditing system. Primus requires digital registration and corrective action submission through its online platform. Navigating these requirements can be a challenge. Allow us to help you navigate this system so you can continue to do what you do best.
SQF
Safe Quality Foods (SQF) is a rigorous program that requires continuous internal participation from the food safety team. SQF offers both food safety and quality levels of certification and is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative. SQF is accepted world-wide by retailers, brand-owners, and food service providers. The SQF food safety codes are designed to meet industry, customer, and regulatory requirements for all sectors of the food supply chain – from the farm to retail stores.
The SQF Program is written based on scientific principles and quality standards applied across industry sectors. SQF focuses on hazard analysis, risk assessment and proactive prevention strategies. All non-conformances must be corrected prior to certification. SQF uses an online platform for registration and corrective action submission.
Prospective SQF auditees need to plan in advance. Certification to the SQF standard takes time – on average 4-6 months. Allow our team to help your team prepare your site and employees to meet the requirements of SQF.
FDA
To obtain a government contract to sell food to a government organization, an operation may need to undergo a USDA GAP or GHP audit, which is generally conducted by an approved local/state auditor. The USDA has its own criteria/checklists for these audits. If you seek to sell your product to a government organization, contact us to assist you meet their specific criteria.
In addition, the FDA oversees the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FSMA is a law that was enacted in 2011 with the goal of ensuring food safety in the United States. All farms subject to the Produce Safety Rule are subject to on site inspections by the FDA or state authority. If your company operates a packinghouse, you may be subject to either the Produce Safety Rule inspection or FDA inspection according to the Preventive Controls for Human Food rule.
In early January of 2016, the FDA released new guidelines for farmers who grow fruits and vegetables. The new guidelines are an attempt to help farmers comply with FSMA. They include recommendations for preventing contamination, testing produce for pathogens, and creating plans to deal with outbreaks if they occur. Compliance with FSMA is important not only to protect consumers from foodborne illness, but also to maintain the reputation of U.S. agriculture exports around the world.
Cannabis
Cannabis is legal in some form in the vast majority of U.S. states. Because cannabis is used in edible items, food safety should be a part of the cannabis supply chain. The Cannabis Safety and Quality standard was created to improve product safety, quality and consistency, to meet regulatory requirements and minimize risk.
SMETA
Social Accountability Audits
More and more, growers are being required by their customers to conduct third-party Social Accountability Audits. From showing a commitment to providing a safe and healthy work environment, ensuring environmental protection during the production process, and conducting business activities with the highest ethical standards, these audits thoroughly examine how your operation works.
We understand how daunting this sounds, but we’re here to help. We’ve spoken with growers and facilities alike, and in doing so, we’ve created two unique programs to help you facilitate meeting the SMETA or Code of Conduct audit requirements.
The results of these audits will show your commitment to these objectives. By doing so, your buyers and suppliers will be confident they are dealing with a socially responsible company whose growth enhances not only the agricultural community, but also the local communities in which they conduct business.
Whether you need a little guidance or need us to provide full support through your SMETA or Code of Conduct audit, AGFSS can tailor a program to fit your needs.
