The CanadaGAP program is an on-farm food safety program for producers, packers and storage intermediaries of horticultural crops. It is designed to help you implement effective food safety procedures in your operation. 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 are based on the seven basic principles of the internationally-recognized HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) approach. The program has been benchmarked to, and officially recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). The program is administered and maintained by the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), with audit and certification services delivered by an accredited
Certification Body.
What is Program Certification?
Certification is the term used by the CHC to describe the determination by a qualified authority that your operation meets the standard and is being maintained on an ongoing basis. This involves having a third party auditor from the Certification Body come to your operation, review your OFFS manual(s) and related records, visit your facilities and interview the operator and staff, and assess your conformance to the CHC OFFS Audit Checklist. Since the Audit Checklist covers all six modules, multi-crop producers need only one audit. Once you pass the audit, you will be certified to the Program.
Certification indicates that you have in place in your operation a system of procedures to minimize the risk of contamination to product. The Certification Body will certify your processes, not your product. The auditor gathers evidence to attest to the ongoing maintenance of your food safety system, rather than simply gaining a snapshot of your operation at a given point in time.
How do I enrol in the Program?
Those interested in being certified to the Program must enroll through the CHC. The
enrolment form is available here or by contacting the CHC National Office.