Third Party Audits assure good handling practices

Large grocery stores and fast food chains such as Albertson's and McDonalds are asking for it, and Utah food producers are providing it. The commodity that's being asked for is security. The security that the food coming from the farm and going into commerce is safe and clean.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is providing third-party audits to assure that raw agricultural products are grown and handled according to good food handling practices.

Independent third party auditing and certification of what is known as Good Handling Practices (GHP) or Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is now being offered by the UDAF as part of a federal/state
cooperative program that includes counterparts in many other states.
The UDAF is one of the first to receive training to do GAP and GHP audit. Audits are being asked for from such places as Utah Onion, Muir Roberts Co. Inc., Robert T. Call & Sons, Hines and Company, Black Island Farms and other packers. The GAP & GHP will need to completed before the shipping point shed can market their produce. Gary Black, President of Condies Foods says, "Most of out of state growers are already certified and meet this requirement. We have one year in which Utah Growers have to become certified."

"We are getting increased requests from buyers and buying groups to provide Third Party Inspections for our produce grown and shipped from Utah," says Steven W. Mittendorf, General Manager of Hines
and Company, Inc. "As a group, we feel that it would be very beneficial to implement a program whereby a third party would help us by monitoring our growing and production process," said David E. Muir, Vice President of Sales, Muir Roberts Co., Inc.

The audit verification program shows that the producer or packer has processes in places that reduce the potential for microbial contamination of fresh fruit and vegetables. It follows guidelines developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is often required by retailers --the principal customers want that pack and sell fresh produce.

"Retailers and their customers want to know that producers and packers are using proper procedures when growing, harvesting, and processing fresh produce," said Clair Allen, UDAF state fresh fruit and vegetable program manager. "This is truly a farm to fork approach," he added . Allen received the USDA National Audit Alliance training and is certified to conduct these audits and will be training fresh fruit and vegetable inspectors.