All media inquiries should be directed to:
Heather Gale
CanadaGAP National Program Manager
(613) 226-4880 Ext. 214
hgale@hortcouncil.ca
Q: What is CanadaGAP?
A: CanadaGAP is an On-Farm Food Safety (OFFS) Program for fresh fruit and vegetables.
The program consists of national food safety standards and a certification system for produce suppliers. Six crop-specific OFFS manuals have been designed for producers and packers implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). The program is based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and undergoes a rigorous technical review and oversight by Canadian government officials.
The program is open to suppliers who need to demonstrate to their customers that they are meeting the national OFFS requirements. Program participants are required to pass a third party audit specifically based on the OFFS manuals.
Q: What are Canadian farmers doing to ensure food safety?
A: Canadian farmers are strongly committed to food safety and implement a number of measures to minimize the potential for contamination of the high quality food they provide to customers.
Producers understand that vigilance about food safety has to begin at the first stage of production — on the farm. Canadian-grown fresh fruit and vegetables have always been recognized for their high level of production safety. Yet, consumers, global markets and food safety regulators are increasingly demanding documentation to demonstrate that safe production methods are being used. That’s why more formal safety programs have been put in place.
Q: How did the CanadaGAP Program start?
A: In the late 1990s, members of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) – a voluntary, not-for-profit, national association representing fresh fruit and vegetable growers – created an On-Farm Food Safety Program (now called CanadaGAP) to respond to market demands to demonstrate producer and packer vigilance about food safety.
The program is the result of years of work by industry representatives and technical experts from across Canada including producers, packers and buyers. Members of the CHC have devoted their efforts to developing an effective food safety program that is practical, comprehensive and based on published, peer-reviewed science.
Q: Is CanadaGAP owned by the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC)? Who else is involved?
A: Yes. The CHC oversees and manages program delivery. Auditing and certification is outsourced to independent, internationally-accredited Certification Bodies, who are responsible for the review of the audit results and certification decisions.
Q: Who is enrolled in the CanadaGAP program?
A: Canadian producers and packers of fresh fruit and vegetables are enrolled in the program.
Q: Why do we need an On-Farm Food Safety program?
A: The CanadaGAP program responds to the needs of the marketplace. Increasingly, retailers, food service companies and food processors require their suppliers to be enrolled in and/or certified to a food safety program.
Several Canadian food companies have officially endorsed the CanadaGAP Program standards and are requiring their growers to become enrolled in the program (or a similar certification program). These include Loblaw Companies Limited, McCain Foods Canada, Simplot Canada, Lamb-Weston and Cavendish.
Q: Does CanadaGAP certify fruits and vegetables for food safety?
A: No. CanadaGAP certifies the producer or packer’s operation, not the product. Certification means that an operation meets the required food safety standard and is being maintained on an ongoing basis. This involves having a third party auditor come to the farm or packinghouse and review OFFS manual(s) and related records, visit the facilities and interview the operator and staff, and assess conformance to the program. The certification body reviews the results of the audit and makes the certification decision.
Q: Is CanadaGAP a government program?
A: No. The Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) is a national, not-for-profit industry association. However, government has played a key role in program development, and maintains oversight of any changes to technical requirements. Each commodity-specific module has undergone a rigorous technical review by a team of specialists from the federal and provincial governments. The program’s development was made possible by federal funding provided to the CHC.
Q: What does it cost the producer or packer to become certified?
A: The cost of certification can range from approximately $600 to more than $1,000 annually. Producers and packers who enrol in the CanadaGAP program have various certification options. Costs vary depending on the certification option their customers require, the scope of their operation and where their facility is located. Visit our page on costs for more detailed information.
Q: Is produce not as safe as it used to be?
A: Canadians consume 6.7 million tons of fresh fruit and vegetables every year and the number of outbreaks in a year is typically no more than two or three. When you consider how much fresh produce is consumed and the very small number of cases of food borne illness, Canadian consumers can feel confident that overall, fresh produce is safe and healthy.
As with any food product, if fresh produce is not handled properly, there is a risk that it can become contaminated by microbes and potentially cause illness. That is why safety programs have been developed throughout the food supply chain, including consumer awareness programs.
Consumers too have a role to play in protecting the safety of their food through proper storage and handling. For example, it is recommended to wash fresh produce before eating it.
Q: Why have there been so many outbreaks? Are the number of outbreaks increasing and if so, why?
A: It is true that there are more reported cases of food borne illness.
One reason that we have more reported cases and outbreaks is that awareness has increased and members of the public and medical professionals now recognize food borne illness more frequently when it occurs.
There is more testing of produce at the federal and provincial levels, more testing of people who become ill and better methods for data collection, reporting and trace-back, especially in the United States. All these factors contribute to greater numbers of cases being detected and reported.
Q: Is imported produce safe? Is Canadian produce safer?
A: Canada’s food safety system includes measures to protect the safety of both imported food and food that is produced in Canada.
Health Canada establishes Canada’s food safety standards and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for enforcement. The standards apply to all foods sold in Canada, no matter what their origin.
Both the Canadian government and the food industry agree that imported products should adhere to the same high safety standards that Canadian producers follow. Programs are in development or in place around the world to move towards global standards for food safety.
Q: Is CanadaGAP affiliated with GlobalG.A.P. in any way?
A: Yes, CanadaGAP is connected to GlobalG.A.P. in two ways. First, the Canadian Horticultural Council is a member of GlobalG.A.P. – a private sector body that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe. The aim is to establish common Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). Second, the CanadaGAP program has initiated benchmarking of the Canadian program to the GlobalG.A.P. standard. The goal is for CanadaGAP to be internationally accepted alongside other benchmarked programs such as JapanGAP, ChileGAP, New ZealandGAP, etc.
Q: How does CanadaGAP compare to other food safety programs around the world?
A: CanadaGAP is the first Canadian food safety program to be internationally recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). GFSI has formally benchmarked and approved CanadaGAP certification options B and C as meeting international requirements for on-farm food safety. For more information about GFSI and the benchmarking process, visit www.mygfsi.com.
CanadaGAP is also undergoing benchmarking to the GlobalG.A.P. standard in order to obtain formal recognition and satisfy customer requests for GlobalG.A.P. equivalency (food safety elements only).
Through these benchmarking processes CanadaGAP is establishing equivalent status to other internationally recognized food safety programs, such as SQF 1000, PrimusGFS and GlobalG.A.P. (food safety elements only). These efforts position CanadaGAP-certified producers and packers to remain competitive and use a unique, made-in Canada program to meet international customer demands.
Q: How do I arrange an interview with someone at CanadaGAP?
A: To arrange an interview, contact CanadaGAP National Program Manager Heather Gale, at (613) 226-4880 Ext. 214 or hgale@hortcouncil.ca.
Q: Can I get comments on a food safety-related issue from an expert at CanadaGAP?
A: CanadaGAP can comment on some issues directly related to food safety for fresh fruit and vegetables in Canada. CanadaGAP is not a regulation body and does not speak on behalf of federal or provincial governments.
Q: How do I sign up to get CanadaGAP press releases and newsletters emailed to me?
A: To receive CanadaGAP press releases or newsletters by email, contact Katie MacKimmie at (613) 226-4880 Ext. 217 or kmackimmie@hortcouncil.ca.
Q: Can I obtain an image or logo to go with my story?
A: Yes. Contact Heather Gale at (613) 226-4880 Ext. 214 or hgale@hortcouncil.ca.