Effective April 1, 2020, aquaponic operations will no longer be able to obtain certification through the CanadaGAP Program. New information has come to light related to potential chemical hazards (antibiotics, for example) associated with aquaponic production. Further, there may be potential for leafy greens to uptake possible contaminants found in the water from the aquaculture production. Unfortunately, peer-reviewed scientific studies are limited at this time.

CanadaGAP uses a generic HACCP model as the basis for the food safety requirements and procedures published in the CanadaGAP Food Safety Manual and Audit Checklist. Going forward, additional science, as mentioned above, will be required to validate that all potential hazards have been appropriately addressed in the CanadaGAP generic HACCP model. Therefore, the decision was taken to phase out this scope of CanadaGAP certification for the time being.

Companies that are currently CanadaGAP-certified for Aquaponic production will have their CanadaGAP certification withdrawn by the certification body effective March 31, 2020. We encourage you to contact your certification body to find out which other food safety programs offer certification for your production practices. The certification body can help you get started in transitioning to a new program. We thank you for having chosen CanadaGAP to certify your production, and wish you continued success with your operations.

Please contact the CanadaGAP office at info@canadagap.ca or 613-829-4711 for assistance with any questions.

July 11th, 2019 at 07:59 am