The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), an international food safety organization bringing together companies from throughout the agri-food sector supply chain, has set up the requirement that auditors working in the certification schemes that rely on their recognition, among them: BRC, IFS, GlobalG.A.P. or FSSC 22000, have an accredited certification according to the requirements established by the GFSI itself.

Specifically, the recognition of the accredited auditor certification is part of GFSI's "Race to the top" excellence program, which contemplates the need for auditors' transversal competence of the different recognized food safety certification schemes to be independently inspected. That is why, in December 2021, the organization agreed to require that its auditors be certified by a certification body accredited by a national accreditation body signatory of the people certification recognition agreement prepared by the international organization of accreditors IAF; ENAC in the case of Spain.

Therefore, the different food safety certification schemes wishing to be supported by GFSI will have to include the requirement of using accredited certified auditors. The certification will cover the basic, common, and transversal competence as a food safety auditor, leaving the requirement assessment of each scheme for the certifier who employs the auditor. GFSI has established a transitional period of three years for schemes already recognized at present.

There are currently 22 accreditations granted by ENAC to bodies that certify schemes recognized by GFSI. These bodies certify food safety in agri-food industries, agricultural and livestock operators.

For further information about this scheme, or if you are interested in applying for accreditation, please contact Edelio Gago, head of ENAC's Certification and Verification department.

 

GFSI: continuously improving food safety systems

The Global Food Safety Initiative brings together large distributors and manufacturers of consumer goods and stakeholders globally with the aim of ensuring consumer confidence by overseeing food safety standards for businesses and helping to provide access to safe food for people around the world. GFSI's objective is to ensure consumer protection and strengthen their confidence, and that is why it established requirements to recognize, on a global scale, voluntary certification schemes related to food safety, such as BRC (British Retail Consortium), IFS, GlobalG.A.P. o FSSC 22000, based on different standards.