WASHINGTON, DC - Minimal burden and maximum safety and efficiency is what most of us strive for in the produce industry, and the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is once again providing solutions to achieve this goal. The organization has announced the expansion of its certification offerings, reducing the encumbrance on growers by allowing for a customized audit approach.

“It has always been a priority for EFI to minimize redundancy in the audit process. Our new customized approach provides flexibility for growers to choose the scope of audit they need to meet their customers’ requirements,” shared EFI Executive Director Peter O’Driscoll.

EFI has been certifying farms to its rigorous social responsibility, food safety, and integrated pest management standards for nearly a decade, and it will continue to offer the one-stop audit for these three sets of standards, a release stated. It will now also offer audit options designed specifically to reduce time, cost, and burdens for grower-shippers.

Starting February 1, 2024, grower-shippers will have the flexibility to choose whether to include Global Food Safety Initiative-recognized food safety and IPM standards in the EFI certification audit. Options include:

1. Continuing with EFI’s one-stop-shop audit for labor practices, GFSI-recognized food safety, and IPM/pollinator health. A new, optional addendum will help growers demonstrate alignment with the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule
2. Auditing to EFI’s social responsibility and culture of food safety standards but submitting a valid GFSI-recognized food safety certificate from another program in place of completing an EFI food safety audit
3. Auditing to EFI’s IPM standards to fulfill customer requirements for pollinator health

“We've heard from many growers who would like to pursue EFI certification but already have a GFSI-recognized food safety or IPM certification from another program that they want to maintain,” O’Driscoll added. “As a multistakeholder initiative, EFI is always committed to serving the interests of everyone in the supply chain, and we are happy to offer an approach that strengthens labor standards while building on what growers are already doing. These changes will reduce the time and expense of audits for growers seeking a customized option.”

The core differentiator of EFI certification, the creation and training of a worker-manager collaborative team, remains the same.

“The cornerstone of the EFI program, a functional and collaborative worker-manager team, will still be required on each EFI-certified farming operation. However, with the customized audit approach, we can offer a variety of options that will help eliminate audit repetition or redundant requirements,” commented Madelyn Edlin, Marketing and Sales Manager.

ANUK remains the place for updates on food safety, certifications, and more.