Background
Global Food Safety Initiative
Joint UNCTAD/WTO Informal Information Session on Private Standards
GFSI Mission
“Continuous improvement in food safety
management systems to ensure
confidence in the delivery of safe food
to consumers”
What Does GFSI Do ?
z benchmarks existing retailer driven food safety
management systems against the GFSI
Guidance Document
z communicates to stakeholders about system
equivalence
z provides a forum for debate with international
Standards organisations and interested parties
z helps and encourages retailers and other
stakeholders to share knowledge and strategy
for food safety through different projects
z GFSI launched at the CIES Annual Congress
(May 2000)
z Established as a non-profit making Foundation (June 2005)
z Managed by CIES – The Food Business Forum
z Food Safety is top of mind with consumers and CEOs
z Consumer trust needs to be strengthened and maintained
GFSI Objectives
- Convergence between food safety management systems
through maintaining a benchmarking process for food
safety management systems
- Improve cost efficiency throughout the food supply chain
through the common acceptance of GFSI recognised
systems by retailers around the world
- Provide a unique international stakeholder platform for
networking, knowledge exchange and sharing of best
food safety practice and information
What is the GFSI Guidance Document ?
the Guidance Document 5th Edition represents food safety management
z
best practice in the form of key elements for food production :
Requirements for Food Safety Management Systems
z
z Requirements for HACCP and Good Practice (GAP, GMP or GDP)
z Requirements for the delivery of food safety management systems
z provides guidance on how to seek compliance for existing systems
owners
z provides a framework for benchmarking
z provides guidance on the operation of certification processes
z it is NOT a new standard !
1
GFSI Benchmarking What GFSI Does NOT Do

z systems officially benchmarked and z make policy for retailers

recognised by GFSI are : z make policy for system owners
z BRC Technical Standard Version 4 z undertake any accreditation or
z IFS Version 4 certification activities
z SQF

z Dutch HACCP (scheme Option B)

z NZ GAP

The GFSI Road To Harmonisation The Effects of GFSI Benchmarking

Goal z a number of major retailers are now formally

recognising all GFSI recognised systems
What has been achieved Safe Food
Cost Effectiveness z more and more suppliers are now using GFSI
¾ Quality recognised systems, using third party certification,
¾ Quantity making buying simpler and improving the level of food
Gu
t

¾ Confidence safety
en

ida
um

Retailers / Authorities z reduction in the number of audits carried out by

nc
oc

IFS retailers
eD
eD

SQF
z nearly 19000 GFSI-recognised system certificates
oc
nc

issued in 2006 - compared to 9000 in 2005

um

BRC
i da

z continual improvement of food management systems

en
Gu

Dutch HACCP
t

z there is a direct influence on audit consistency,

Manufacturers / Retailers customer confidence and cost

Key Factors Driving The Development Private Food

GFSI Benefits Safety Management Systems

FOR RETAILERS FOR STANDARD

Improved production OWNERS
standards Exchange of best z to provide assurance of product safety
Improved information practice
on food safety
schemes
Greater transparency
in the food industry
z to promote consumer confidence
Exchange of best
practice
FOR MANUFACTURERS Continuous
improvement
z to promote ‘best practice’
Improved cost efficiency
Simplified purchasing
procedures
Reduced numbers of audits Market opportunities z to promote business improvement and
Clarity of Food Safety
Scheme requirements
efficiency in the supply chain in a global
FOR ACCREDITATION
FOR CERTIFICATION Time and resources to
reinvest in quality and safety
BODIES context
BODIES
Exchange of best practice
Exchange of best practice
Knowledge sharing
z to meet legislative requirements and to
Improved auditor
competence & quality Opportunities to work with the ensure a margin of defence
food industry on auditing
New market opportunities standards z to provide brand protection and reputation

2
European Retailer Own Brand Market Share Global Retailer Own Brand Market Share
Source: AC Nielsen and Citigroup Investment Research 2005 Source: The Nielsen Company 2005

Meeting Legislative Requirements Meeting Legislative Requirements

Safety Emergency
Operators shall not place on the market unsafe food or feed Operators shall immediately withdraw food or feed from the market if they
have a reason to believe that it is not safe
Responsibility
Operators are responsible for the safety of the food and feed which they Prevention
produce, transport, store or sell Operators shall identify and regularly review the critical points in their
processes and ensure that controls are applied at these points
Traceability
Operators shall be able to rapidly identify any supplier or consignee Co-operation
Operators shall co-operate with the competent authorities in actions taken to
Transparency reduce risks
Operators shall immediately inform the competent authorities if they have
reason to believe that their food or feed is unsafe

Key Obligations of Food and Feed Business Operators Issued by The Health & Consumer Protection Directorate- General of the European Key Obligations of Food and Feed Business Operators Issued by The Health & Consumer Protection Directorate- General of the European
Commission Commission

Meeting Legislative Requirements Meeting Legislative Requirements

z Responsibility of the Food Business Regulation EC 852/2004 The Hygiene of Foodstuffs Article 1
Lays down the general rules for food business operators on the hygiene of
Operator under the EU General Food foodstuffs, taking particular account of the following principles:
Law Regulation 178/2002 Article 17 a) primary responsibility for food safety rests with the food business
operator
Food and feed business operators at all b) it is necessary to ensure food safety throughout the food chain,
starting with primary production
stages of production, processing and c) general implementation of procedures based on the HACCP
distribution within the businesses under their principles, together with the application of good hygiene practice,
should reinforce food business operators’ responsibility
control shall ensure that foods or feeds satisfy d) it is necessary to ensure that imported foods are of at least the same
the requirements of food law which are hygiene standard as food produced in the Community, or are of an
relevant to their activities and shall verify that equivalent standard.

such requirements are met.

3

Meeting Legislative Requirements
Imports - Responsibility of the Food Business
Operator under the General Food Law Regulation
178/2002 Article 11:
“Food and feed imported to the Community for placing
on the market within the Community shall comply with
the relevant requirements of food law…”
Private Food Safety Management Systems
z provide a benchmark requirement for all suppliers ensuring a
‘level playing field’ globally
z compliant with legislative requirements
z provide compliant suppliers with access to new markets and
customers
z used to promote and enhance food safety using the principles of
self regulation
z suppliers recognise the advantages to their operation of gaining
certification
z a strong move towards harmonisation, reducing multiple and
divergent standards and audits from individual retailers
z the certification process proactively improves food safety and
knowledge of legislative requirements
Opening Markets
‘The picture for developing countries as a whole is not necessarily
problematic and certainly less pessimistic than the mainstream
“standards-as-barriers” perspective. Indeed, rising standards serve to
accentuate underlying supply chain strengths and weaknesses and thus
impact differently on the competitive position of individual countries and
distinct market participants. Some countries and industries are even
using high quality and safety standards to successfully (re-)position
themselves in competitive global markets.’
Jaffe & Henson
Standards and Agro-Food Exports from Developing Countries: Rebalancing the
Debate (June 2004)
Principles of Private Food Safety
Management Systems
z established to minimise duplication of evaluation
z encourage ‘local’ evaluation
z promote ‘best practice’
z be open, transparent and compliant with fair
trading legislation
z control and maintenance is reliant on an
internationally recognised accreditation process
z direct stakeholder participation during
development, continuous review and
improvement of systems
The Relationship Between Private Food Safety
Management Systems and Regulation
z do not conflict with,but complement regulatory requirements
z provides demonstrable assurance of compliance
z translate regulatory requirements into concrete means/measures
z enhance the understanding of legislative requirements for markets
where the product is sold
z promote uniform interpretation of legal requirements and any specific
requirements of the System
z are regularly updated to reflect legislative change, define best practice,
such as technology and knowledge advance and to meet consumer
expectation
z are well established and understood by suppliers
z driven by consumer demand
z governance of Systems and associated protocols are in line with
Corporate Governance principles
z established case law dictates that a food business operator cannot rely
on competent authority control measures or official control measures to
satisfy their legal obligations
Future Debate
"The fact that more and more producers and retailers
are using certification schemes must prove something.
And I'm glad we're beginning to see the results of
detailed work which reveals where, when and how the
schemes add value and how much benefit farmers,
retailers and consumers get....... Schemes should aim
to enable producers and retailers to obtain higher
returns for qualities which consumers genuinely want."
Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel
(5-6 Feb 2007- Food Quality Certification Conference in Brussels - Adding
Value to Farm Produce)