WASHINGTON, DC - Making it onto retail shelves requires a certain set of steps. Minimizing those steps is one way to ensure your products make it there faster. The Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) aims to do just this with its food safety certification. The organization recently announced that its certification has been recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which will allow users to satisfy multiple retail requirements in a single audit.

“Earning GFSI recognition for our certification program is an essential step in creating a one-stop shop that eliminates the redundancy of multiple audits,” Peter O’Driscoll, Executive Director of EFI, remarked. “From our earliest days, EFI has aimed to create a system that raises audit standards while reducing the overall burden of time and cost for growers. Our ongoing partnership with industry stakeholders and now with GFSI is bringing this vision to fruition.”

Major retailers already accept EFI as a third-party certification for both responsible sourcing and pollinator health/integrated pest management, according to a press release. This addition of a GFSI-recognized food safety certification streamlines the audit process even further.

In operation since 2012, EFI’s certification program has evolved with multi-stakeholder input to satisfy multiple retailer requirements and demonstrate supplier commitment to the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices. Auditors from SCS Global Services, a certifying body of the EFI program, are on the ground ensuring the EFI standards are being upheld.

“EFI has always brought value for consumers by bringing everyone to the table,” commented Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy at the Consumer Federation of America, which is a member of the EFI Standards Committee. “In developing a single audit that drives meaningful benefits for growers, farmworkers, retailers, and consumers alike, EFI is poised more than ever to transform agriculture and improve the lives of farmworkers. CFA has been honored to participate in this endeavor.”

GFSI’s benchmarking process compares a food safety certification program owner to the GFSI benchmarking requirements. A program is ‘recognized’ by GFSI when it has been verified that it meets every single benchmarking requirement, both in procedures and in operations.

With National Farm Safety and Health Week happening this week from September 18–24, EFI continues to bring our industry’s workers top of mind.

For more comments on this exciting news, read the press release in full here.

ANUK will continue to keep you informed, so stay tuned.

Equitable Food Initiative