FMI's SQF, Food Safety Groups Work on Standards for Farmers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- In the latest industry initiative to boost food safety practices, GLOBALGAP and The Food Marketing Institute's Safe Quality Food (SQF) Institute said yesterday they are developing a combined audit checklist that will facilitate a "high degree of harmonization between the GLOBALGAP and SQF 1000 on-farm standards."

The partners announced the new initiative here at the SQF Institute International Conference.

Tim Hammonds, president and c.e.o. of FMI, which oversees SQF, said, "Suppliers seeking SQF certification can now, at the same time, demonstrate they meet both the SQF and GLOBALGAP standards, saving time and money."

Nigel Garbutt, GLOBALGAP chairman, said the standard checklist is "an important step forward that will enable a single audit to meet the requirements of both standards, leading to a simplification of requirements for suppliers as well as eliminating the costs associated with duplicate audits."

GLOBALGAP, based in Cologne, Germany, is a private sector body that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe

The SQF Institute, based in Arlington, Va., is a division of FMI that administers a complete food safety and quality management system designed specifically for the food industry.
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