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The Food Quality Assurance Program offers several Good Agricultural (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) programs to improve food safety in the production and packing of fruits and vegetables. Good Agricultural Practices refers to farming methods that reduce the likelihood of contaminating produce. Implementation of practices that address water quality, manure and compost use, worker health and hygiene and contamination from wild life, domestic animals and livestock. Good Handling Practices refers to post harvest handling of produce to minimize contamination. Practices include water quality, sanitation of the packing house, pest control programs, and sanitation of containers.
Fruit and vegetable producers implement GAP and GHP for many reasons. A GAP/GHP food safety program reduces the risk of microbial contamination that can cause consumer illness from consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. As a result of food borne illness outbreaks related to produce, many wholesale buyers of produce now require farmers to be GAP/GHP certified. As part of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act, the Food and Drug Administration has implemented rules for the production and handling of fruits and vegetables that are similar to GAP/GHP requirements. Implementation of a GAP/GHP program and certification that the requirements are being met assists farmers in providing safe, wholesome produce to consumers, meeting buyer requirements and meeting the requirements of FDA's proposed rule.
In cooperation with the University of Maryland, MDA is providing GAP/GHP training and one-to-one assistance in developing, writing and implementing food safety programs. This assistance is available to any Maryland producer of fruits and vegetables.
MDA conducts audits of fruit and vegetable producers and handlers to determine compliance with USDA's Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices standards and the Pre Harvest and Post Harvest Harmonized GAP standards. The program is conducted through a cooperative agreement with USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
USDA GAP/GHP audits provide national recognition for producers and handlers to the many buyers now requiring these audits for compliance with the guidelines.
Additional information concerning the USDA Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices Audits and the Harmonized Audits can be found on the USDA AMS website. Maryland producers that are USDA GAP/GHP certified can be found on the USDA AMS website here. MDA currently has USDA Specialty Crop grant money to assist Maryland producers in offsetting USDA audit costs.
The USDA and Harmonized audits are based on elements derived from FDA's guidance document entitled "Guide to Minimize Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables." The FDA guidance document identifies water, manure and municipal bio-solids, worker health and hygiene, sanitary facilities, field sanitation, packing facility sanitation, transportation and trace back as areas to be addressed to prevent microbial contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables.
FDA has also developed commodity specific guidance which is also available on their website. Categories on the audit include personnel hygiene and practices, farm review, field harvesting and field packing activities, packing house facility, storage and transportation, food security and trace-back. Additional information and materials that can assist producers in implementing a GAP/GHP program are available on the National Good Agricultural Practices Program website. Producers can use this information to implement or improve "Good Agricultural Practices" without requesting an audit.
To request a USDA GAP Audit, complete and submit the following:
The Maryland Department of Agriculture has developed a food safety program for direct marketers of fresh fruit and vegetables. The program is designed to minimize the risk of microbial contamination through good production practices and is based on guidance developed by the US Food and Drug Administration. Program requirements are updated annually to meet current buyer and regulatory requirements.
Concerns with food safety and fresh fruits and vegetables have led wholesale buyers to require Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audits and the federal government to include provisions that are similar to GAP programs in the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. MDA offers a voluntary GAP program geared towards smaller and/or direct marketers to provide safe, wholesome fresh produce by covering the basic food safety requirements. This program may also be of assistance to larger farms and/or farms selling wholesale by providing a starting point for implementing a more comprehensive GAP food safety program. Many of the requirements are similar to those required by USDA GAP or private audit companies, however, the program is more focused on addressing the basic food safety risks with compliance options that are more suited to smaller farms. This program is funded by a USDA Specialty Crop Grant to minimize costs to producers.
Your written food safety plan must address:
