OTTAWA – The national food safety program for producers and packers of Combined Vegetables (including Asparagus, Sweet Corn and Legumes, Bulb and Root Vegetables and Fruiting Vegetables) has now completed a rigorous government technical review process.
The program, developed by the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), has been officially endorsed by a team of technical experts from the federal and provincial governments. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) provided the CHC with a letter of completion in September. This is the final CHC module to complete the process – five other crop groupings have already completed government technical review.
“The successful completion of our final module is an exciting milestone for us,” said Heather Gale, who manages the program. “This has been five years in the making.”
Technical Review Timeline
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CHC Crop Grouping
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Technical Review Completed
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18-Month Review Date (Adherence Verification)
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Potato
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November 2006
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October 2008
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Tree and Vine Fruit
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March 2008
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October 2009
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Greenhouse
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July 2008
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January 2010
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Leafy Vegetable and Cruciferae
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June 2009
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TBA
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Small Fruit
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June 2009
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TBA
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Combined Vegetable
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September 2009
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TBA
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About the Program
The CHC’s CanadaGAP (On-Farm Food Safety) Program consists of national food safety standards
and a certification system for the safe production, storage and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables. Six
crop-specific manuals, developed by the horticultural industry and reviewed for technical soundness by Canadian government officials, are designed for growers and packers implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). The manuals contain comprehensive guidance based on a rigorous hazard analysis using HACCP principles.
About the Canadian Horticultural Council
The CHC is a national, not-for-profit industry association representing fruit and vegetable producers and packers.
The CHC gratefully acknowledges the support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, which has provided
funding for the development of the CHC On-Farm Food Safety Program through the Canadian Food
Safety and Quality Program and the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative.
For more information visit our website at www.canadagap.ca or contact:
Heather Gale, CanadaGAP National Program Manager
T: (613) 226-4880 Ext. 214 F: (613) 226-4497
E: hgale@hortcouncil.ca
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