Who Developed the Program?
Following the publication of the original OFFS Guidelines (2000 – no longer in circulation) and completion of a generic risk assessment (2002), the Canadian Horticultural Council established eight commodity-specific On-Farm Food Safety Working Groups for development of its commodity-specific modules. Drafts were also submitted to representatives from the federal and provincial governments for review. The CHC Food Safety Committee and a Technical Review Steering Committee oversaw the process as each module proceeded through the official government technical review process. Task Groups were set up in 2007 to develop the certification system and audit protocols. All of the work was overseen by the CHC Food Safety Committee (2002-2008).
Committee Membership
The Working Groups, Task Groups and Committee were comprised of:
- Representatives from CHC member organizations, i.e., industry associations from across all provinces involved in production, storage and packing of fresh fruit and vegetable crops;
- Representatives included individual growers and packers as well as organization staff members
- Buyers and end users
- Technical expert consultants
- CHC staff
Advice and assistance to WGs has been provided by CFIA resources since the beginning of the program’s development.
Transparent Process
All CHC Food Safety committees, Task Groups and Working Groups operated within a transparent process:
- Clear and open communication to CHC members on all food safety-related initiatives
- All members welcome to participate and get involved in the development process
- Working Groups designed to include representatives from all producing regions, different commodities, various types of operations (farms, packinghouses, end users, etc.)
- Food Safety Committee included representation from all provinces; communication ran both ways (to and from the CHC)
- Direction for program design, implementation, delivery and management comes collectively from the CHC membership through their representatives appointed to the FS Committee and through their volunteers on the Working and Task Groups
- Regular progress reports on project status to the federal government. Comprehensive reporting to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on the use of government program funding
- Ongoing open dialogue with all stakeholders and interested parties (buyers, consumers, governments within and outside Canada, service providers
- OFFS manuals available to members and non-members
- Regular communication and information-sharing with other national producer associations
- Activities related to food safety reported to the CHC Executive and Finance Committees on a regular basis
- CHC’s food safety mandate reviewed and endorsed by the membership each year at the Annual General Meeting
For more information about contributors to the development of the CHC OFFS Program (2004-2008), contact
offs@hortcouncil.ca.
Who Maintains the Program?
As owner of the national OFFS standards, the CHC maintains management control and oversight of licensed Certification Bodies to ensure services are delivered in a consistent and credible manner across the country. The CanadaGAP program management system is designed to meet Canadian Government OFFS Program Recognition requirements, GFSI benchmarking and international management system standards.
The CanadaGAP-specific auditor training course was developed and is maintained on an ongoing basis by the CHC. The CHC also maintains updates to the technical standards, including the OFFS manuals, Audit Checklist, Auditor Requirements and Qualifications, etc.
Food Safety Management Committee
The Food Safety Management Committee was formed in 2008 to oversee the direction and implementation of the CanadaGAP program. The committee consists of five regionally-appointed members, elected in March at the CHC Annual General Meeting. The Committee meets on an as-needed basis.
The role of the Committee is to provide a structure and a forum for provincial member organizations to direct the CHC’s activities in the area of food safety and to address ongoing and emerging food safety issues affecting the horticulture sector.
Program Objectives:
- Realistic, cost effective, voluntary and market driven
- Based on member input and needs
- Technically sound and credible
- Created through a transparent process
- Founded on the best available science
- Consistent between regions and commodities
- Buyer recognized standard
A national approach to developing a food safety program for horticulture was supported by CHC members in order to:
- Maintain a level playing field for producers and packers across Canada
- Prevent food safety from becoming a marketing tool between regions and between buyers sourcing product from various production areas across Canada
- Access the federal government recognition process (Technical Review)
- Access federal government funding to develop programs
For more information about the CHC Food Safety Management Committee, contact offs@hortcouncil.ca.
OFFS Technical Working Group
The On-Farm Food Safety (OFFS) Technical Working Group was formed in 2009 to maintain the CanadaGAP technical standards developed by the CHC. Membership is drawn from technical expert members of commodity-specific OFFS Working Groups and Task Groups who contributed to developing the CanadaGAP (OFFS) Program, and other program users and stakeholders from within industry. The group seeks to offer food safety and commodity-specific expertise, reflecting their knowledge of various types of production/storage/packing across Canada. Nominations are received through an open process by the Food Safety Management Committee, who appoints members annually in March.
The Technical Working Group’s role is to:
- Review updates to the Audit Checklist
- Review proposed revisions and updates to the OFFS manuals and HACCP models, as required
- Review other technical matters related to the CanadaGAP program (e.g., self-assessment checklist and declaration of conformity, auditor training materials, etc.)
For more information about the OFFS Technical Working Group, contact
offs@hortcouncil.ca.
This is a volunteer group that meets twice annually, and holds teleconferences as needed.