GFSI promotes continuous improvement in food safety management program

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) released its Global Markets Programme for Primary Production, which complements the Manufacturing Programme publication released in July 2011. These comprehensive, step-by-step programs guide businesses and producers through a continuous improvement process in their food safety management systems, thus facilitating local market access and creating mutual acceptance along the supply chain.

The GFSI Global Markets Primary Production Technical Working Group began meeting in early 2010 to define the food safety management requirements a primary products supplier should have in place for the two levels of the program: basic and intermediate. The working group consists of food safety experts from producer, retail and manufacturing companies as well as international organizations, academic institutions, certification bodies and scheme owners. They based their work on food safety management documentation for the primary production sector, drawing on existing industry output.