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April 2019 3
Turnip Your Sales with Produce Safety
Certification & Accreditation Programs
By Dominique Giroux, VT may find CAPS+ as an Produce Safety Rule (PSR) Community Vermont Produce
Agency of Agriculture, Food & option for produce safety requirements. Accreditation for Program
Markets accreditation, as Hannaford’s Produce Safety (CAPS)
now accepts CAPS+ accredi- Website: www.ams.usda.gov/ In addition to the
Produce safety certifi- tation in lieu of a GAP audit. services/auditing/gap-ghp/ CAPS is a program of above-mentioned produce
cation and accredita- Please continue reading harmonized the Vermont Vegetable and safety certification and
tion programs can under CAPS+ Audits to learn Berry Growers Association accreditation programs, the
help farms get organized, more about this option. Telephone: (202) 720-5021 (VVBGA). A practical Vermont Produce Program
focused on food safety, and Email: SCAudits@ams.usda. approach to documenting at the Vermont Agency of
prepared for regulations and Website: www.ams.usda.gov/ on-farm practices that reduce Agriculture offers On-Farm
buyer requests. A number services/auditing/gap-ghp gov food safety risks, CAPS uses Readiness Reviews2 to help
of options are available to the capsvt.org platform to growers prepare for a Food
growers who seek a produce Telephone: (202) 720-5021 GroupGAP Food Safety help growers write produce Safety Modernization Act
safety certification or accred- Email: SCAudits@ams.usda. Audit Program safety plans, implement their (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule
itation to maintain current plans, and upload evidence inspection and identify areas
markets or access new retail gov GroupGAP allows farm- of implementation—includ- for produce safety improve-
and wholesale buyers. This ers, food hubs, and market- ing standard operating proce- ments. OFRRs are free,
article can help you deter- USDA Harmonized ing organizations to band dures and pictures. Growers voluntary assessments of a
mine whether a certification GAP – Free Audits for together and pool resources receive CAPS accreditation farm to evaluate pre-harvest,
or accreditation program is Vermont Growers in to achieve USDA GAP cer- after a successful peer review harvest, and post-harvest
right for your farm. 2019 tification as a group. The of these documents. conditions and practices
GroupGAP Audit Program and provide personalized
USDA Good Agricultural Vermont growers who makes it easier for growers CAPS+ Audits recommendations in areas
Practices (GAP) & Good seek a Harmonized GAP and cooperatives to afford CAPS accredited growers for improvement in produce
Handling Practices audit can receive their GAP certification as mem- safety practices. OFRRs
(GHP) audit for free in 2019 bers of a group can fully may also opt for a CAPS+ are carried out in partner-
through USDA Harmonized leverage existing resources on-farm verification audit, ship between the Vermont
USDA GAP and GHP are GAP Assistance.1 Like and share certification costs which confirms that required Agency of Agriculture and
voluntary audits that verify USDA GAP audits, USDA and develop and implement CAPS practices documented University of Vermont
fruits and vegetables are pro- Harmonized GAP audits their own quality manage- on capsvt.org are in place Extension Produce Safety
duced, packed, handled, and verify that produce is grown, ment systems and food on the farm. Agency staff Team. To schedule an OFRR
stored in ways that minimize packed, handled and stored safety programs. Find more currently conduct these for the 2019 growing season,
microbial food safety risks in ways that minimize information on USDA’s audits in partnership with contact the Produce Program
during production, harvest, food safety hazards. The GroupGAP webpage. University of Vermont at AGR.FSMA@vermont.gov
and packing. GAP audits Harmonized Standard is Extension. Hannaford or (802) 828-2433.
cover farm/greenhouse, based on the Harmonization Website: www.ams.usda.gov/ Supermarkets now accepts
harvest, packing house and Initiative Harmonized services/auditing/groupgap CAPS+ accreditation in lieu How does the FSMA
cooler/cold storage, storage Food Safety Standards and of USDA GAP certification, Produce Safety Rule affect
and distribution, transporta- incorporates Food Safety Telephone: (202) 720-5021 and the Vermont Produce your farm? Contact the
tion, and traceability. Modernization Act (FSMA) Email: GroupGAP@ams. Program is conducting out- Vermont Produce Program
reach to additional retail to receive one-on-one
As of January 2019, the usda.gov and wholesale buyers to assistance, next steps, and
Agency will no longer offer gauge buyers’ willingness resources.
USDA GAP or GHP audits. to accept CAPS+ audits in
While the Agency will no 2019 and beyond. For more Resources
longer conduct GAP audits, information about CAPS and 1Harmonized GAP
growers may still obtain a CAPS+, contact Hans Estrin
USDA GAP audit by con- at UVM Extension: Assistance: https://go.usa.
tacting USDA. The same gov/xEQaU (case sensi-
GAP audit will be conducted Websites: practicalproduc- tive)
by USDA staff, likely based esafetyvt.wordpress.com & 2On-Farm Readiness
out of USDA’s Boston office. capsvt.org Reviews: https://agricul-
ture.vermont.gov/produ-
Growers who sell to Telephone: (802) 257-7967 ceprogram/OFRR
Hannaford Supermarkets Email: hestrin@uvm.edu
