This "technical equivalence" recognition must have just come down quite recently even though the standard was apparently released by USDA in May, because all of a sudden I'm seeing grower interest in it. I don't suppose anyone here can speak on behalf of the Consumer Goods Forum, but given the USDA Harmonized GAP Plus+ standard appears to be weak in many respects (no HACCP, only annual self-audits; a guidance document that reads like a checklist, etc), what are they thinking to declare it technically "equivalent" to a GFSI standard? Is this to say that GFSI's minimum requirements are really that watered down and a private standard like PrimusGFS v2.1-2c goes above and beyond?
https://www.mygfsi.c...quivalence.html
Here is another article I was just forwarded by a different grower. I fully agree that we in the food safety community should not gravitate towards lightweight alternatives to GFSI.
http://www.hortidail...by-GFSI-and-FDA
Scratching my head. I knew USDA was coming out with a technically equivalent standard, but I assumed it was going to be more akin to PrimusGFS than a little touch-up to Harmonized GAP. If big buyers accept this, I'm sure most ag producers in North America will go to this. And if not, this could bifurcate the market, between those supplying large buyers and those supplying midsize buyers. After all, if the new USDA standard is technically equivalent, a GFSI certified buyer should not have a problem buying from a supplier who is audited by the USDA.
Edited by CEA_safety, 14 August 2018 - 02:31 PM.