Both certification options have the following in common:
- Recognition from the Canadian Government Food Safety Program
- Four-year cycle – an on-site audit occurs at least once every 4 years (Year 1)
- In Years 2, 3 and 4, program participants must submit a declaration and self-assessment to their certification body
- Could be selected for a random audit in Years 2, 3, or 4 where participants are not automatically scheduled for on-site audits
- If selected for a random audit, the on-site audit replaces the self-assessment
In the following example, the first participant selects Option A1 and the second selects Option A2. Both start the four-year cycle at the same time, and both are selected for a random audit in Year 3. It is after this random audit that their audit cycles change: Option A1 continues into Year 4, while Option A2’s cycle is reset, with the random audit becoming their new Year 1. This is illustrated in the chart below:
| Option A1 | Option A2 | |||
| Year in cycle | Activity | Year in cycle | Activity | |
| 2020 | Year 1 | On-site audit | Year 1 | On-site audit |
| 2021 | Year 2 | Self-assessment | Year 2 | Self-assessment |
| 2022 | Year 3 | Random Audit | Year 1 | Random Audit |
| 2023 | Year 4 | Self-assessment | Year 2 | Self-assessment |
| 2024 | Year 1 | On-site audit | Year 3 | Self-assessment |
| 2025 | Year 2 | Self-assessment | Year 4 | Self-assessment |
| 2026 | Year 3 | Self-assessment | Year 1 | On-site audit |
The difference between A1 and A2 is the timing of the scheduled audit date. If an A2 program participant is selected for a random audit in Years 2, 3 or 4, the next scheduled audit will be extended to four years from the random audit date.