GLOBALG.A.P. focuses on microbial Risk

Microbial Risk Control a Top Priority in Upcoming GLOBALG.A.P. IFA Standard Revision

At this year’s GLOBALG.A.P. News Conference at Fruit Logistica 2014, members announced that one of the key issues for the upcoming revision of the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance Standard will be strengthening microbial risk control for fruit and vegetables. GLOBALG.A.P. Board Member Hugh Mowat from Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc and a panelist at the news conference said: 
“Food safety has always been a key platform of the GLOBALG.A.P. Standard and GLOBALG.A.P. has undoubtedly made a major contribution toward maintaining consumer safety since its inception in 1996.  In the light of ongoing food safety scares resulting from microbial contamination, GLOBALG.A.P. is taking a proactive approach to strengthen existing controls. These changes will be science-based and will support growers by providing a safe framework within which to grow food, as well as protecting them in the event of an incident.” 
All the changes will go through the GLOBALG.A.P. process of public consultation and thereby seek harmonization with other pre-farm-gate standards. The first round of public consultations will start in mid-2014 and end with roundtable discussions at the GLOBALG.A.P. SUMMIT 2014 in Abu Dhabi on 27 October