In the USA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) requires specific practices to be implemented and followed for the production, handling, and import of food products. The FDA maintains a website which contains FSMA rules, guidance documents, compliance dates and other resources. 

GLOBALG.A.P. recommends that producers go directly to the FDA for their source of information and guidance whenever possible. 

How GLOBALG.A.P. can help

Although the FDA does not yet formally recognize private schemes for their coverage of FSMA, GLOBALG.A.P. offers a suite of three new and updated solutions to support its stakeholders with meeting the USA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements as well as market expectations for Good Agricultural Practices certification through a streamlined audit and reporting experience.

GLOBALG.A.P. FSMA Produce Safety Rule Add-on

Fruit and vegetable producers complying with the complete requirements of the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance Standard, a GFSI-recognized certification program, already meet the majority of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) requirements. GLOBALG.A.P. offers its FSMA PSR Add-on to address requirements in the FSMA PSR that are not explicitly covered by IFA. For those producers located in USA or Canada, GLOBALG.A.P. offers this Add-on free of additional charge.

Learn  more about FSMA PSR Add-on. 

Harmonized Produce Safety Standard (HPSS)

The GLOBALG.A.P. HPSS is a GFSI-recognized food safety certification specially designed to serve the needs of the USA fruit and vegetable producers, and those selling into the USA market.  The HPSS includes verbatim the  Produce GAP Harmonization Initiative's Harmonized Standards, which are administered by the International Fresh Produce Association, and are aligned with the FSMA PSR.

Learn  more about HPSS. 

Produce Handling Assurance Standard (PHA)

The GLOBALG.A.P. Produce Handling Assurance Standard (PHA) is a GFSI-recognized food safety certification program that covers pre-process production steps after the point of harvest for crops including cooling, packing, re-packing, handling, and storage of produce for human consumption. FSMA requirements from both the PSR and Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule are included as applicable. 

Learn  more about PHA. 

Get more information 

If you have additional questions about how GLOBALG.A.P. can support FSMA needs, please contact standard_support@globalgap.org.