NCSI Americas is pleased to announce the addition of an office in Wenatchee. To be staffed by auditors, this will help support our audit audit base covering the produce industry in the Pacific North West.
Retailers Adjust Food Safety Requirements - what does it mean?
Many in the produce industry have by now heard of the recent changes to Wal-Mart’s Food Safety requirements (for those who have yet to read the official announcement: http://ncsiamericas.com/index.php?id=40). Any producer wishing to supply to Wal-Mart must meet these requirements by July 2012, giving most producers just a single harvest season to become GAP Certified.
This change in food safety requirement has been expected for sometime, although the timing may have caught many people off guard. The produce industry should be prepared for similar announcements from other major retailers (where Wal-Mart leads, others are sure to follow) in the next 12-24 months, and it appears that GAP Certification is to become another cost of doing business with a major retailer.
What is GAP?
GAP stands for Good Agricultural Practices. GAP Certification, in the context Wal-Mart refers to it as, stands for having an audit conducted against a GAP standard, such as PrimusGFS, SQF 1000, or GlobalGAP.
Each standard has a set of slightly different requirements, and you may wish to consider which standard is right for you.
We can provide information on all 3 standards, so if you’re a little lost on which standard to choose we’re happy to talk.
Top 3 Tips
- Don’t leave it until 2012 before looking at your GAP program
- Take a training course – understand the requirements that you are being expected to comply with
- Talk to a Certification Body – book in your audit early. Auditors schedules are set up to 3 months in advance, and sometimes longer.
How to become an auditor - SQF
A few months ago I posted a 'how to' guide for becoming an auditor. Here's some additional help, specifically around the SQF standard.
How to Become a SQF Auditor http://www.sqfi.com/checklist_auditorreg.html
1. Background Experience
- For each Food Sector Category (FSC) that is requested for registration, applicants must demonstrate 5 years work experience in food safety and/or quality management within the requested FSC, or 120/160 (for high risk FSC) audit hours within requested FSC, or a combination of work experience and audit experience for each FSC requested
- Must have completed at least 160 hours of food safety and/or quality auditing in the food industry (20 audit days)
- Must have at least 5 years work experience in food safety, HACCP program management and/or quality systems management within the food industry
2. Training
- Must attend and successfully complete the SQF Auditor Course - Auditing SQF Systems, taught by SQFI or a designee, and successfully complete the online SQF Auditor Exam
- Must attend an independent objective Auditor Training course of at least 8 hours in length (i.e. ASQ or RABQSA)
- Must attend a HACCP Training course with certificate issued
3. Apply to SQF
- Must be employed by or contracted to an SQF licensed Certification Body
- Signed Auditor Sponsor Verification Form
- Certificates for:
- Education documents (i.e. diploma, continuing education or short course certificates, etc.)
- HACCP Training
- SQF Systems Training - Auditing of SQF Systems (Certificate of Attendance and Attainment)
- Auditor training certificate (i.e. ASQ or RABQSA certificate)
- Industry Experience and Food Sector Category Log
- Audit Log
4. Fees
Refer to the below link for application fees
Walmart Announces New Food Safety Audit Requirements
Walmart & Sam’s Club rolled out a Produce Safety Initiative on November 30 to all suppliers worldwide.
This will all affect produce suppliers who supply to Walmart & Sam's Club.
For the announcement official announcements please see the below links.
National Suppliers Roll Out Requirement
National Suppliers Audit Requirement
Small Producers Roll Out Requirement
Small Producers Audit Requirement
NCSI Americas is pleased to be named as one of the approved Certification Bodies for the GAP program. Please contact us if we can help you meet any of your GAP obligations.
NCSI Americas making training more accessible to your organization.
For 2011 we’re pleased to announce our most recent initiative – a single low cost for training that covers your access to any training course ran by NCSI Americas, including HACCP, GlobalGAP, BRC, SQF and Internal Auditor Training.
One low annual cost
Any staff member (up to three per course)
Attend as many training courses ran by NCSI Americas as you need
The cost? US$1500 per year to meet all of your training needs.
Food Safety Training courses typically cost around $500 per course, per person, so we're excited at the substantial savings this program will bring in meeting your training requirements.
So give us a call or send us an email.
1 877 285 6554
info@ncsiamericas.com
www.ncsiamericas.com
Inhouse training classes and Lead Auditor Training, are excluded from this program.
NQA West Coast Quality Conference
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 ‐ Los Angeles, CA
NQA is bringing its expertise to LA with a one‐day quality conference covering the hottest issues in process and product compliance. Industry and auditing veterans will provide the insight you need to help your company achieve success. Attend this complimentary event to experience the quality and expertise that NQA offers its clients as an innovative solution provider in the management systems certification industry.
NCSI Americas, as a partner of NQA, is heading up a 90 minute presentation titled 'The True Cost of Food Safety: Choosing a GFSI Food Safety Certification'.
For any questions about the conference please contact NCSI Americas - we'd love to see you there!
30th Annual NW Food Safety and Sanitation Workshop and Exhibit Show
The 30th Annual NW Food Safety and Sanitation Workshop and Exhibit Show is about to kick off on November 9 – 10, 2010 at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel in the Mt. Hood Ballroom.
It promises to be another great turnout of Northwest food processing sanitation specialists.\
NCSI Americas are proud to be a sponsor and would love to see you drop by our booth at number 19-20. We hope to see you there!
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