Today, food manufacturers are struggling to raise safe and healthy products responsibly. Legal regulations, on the one hand, the demands from consumers on the one hand, creates a great pressure on consumers. In the face of these pressures, food producers, farmers and breeders use production techniques that reduce the impact of food production on nature in order to reduce the use of chemicals in production, to ensure the continuity of employees, livestock, marine life, shortly the natural life and to ensure the effective and sustainable use of natural resources. had to use it.
The EurepGAP (or GlobalGAP) independent verification system is a system that the large European 1999 retailer put together in 17 to ensure that the agricultural products they offer to their customers are reliable and do not pose a danger to human health. In 2000, fruit and vegetable production principles standard was published and in 2003, flowers and ornamental plants were added to this standard. In 2004, the coffee farm production and aquaculture integrated farm management standard was published. The name of the system EurepGAP was changed to GlobalGAP in 2007. The fifth version of this standard was issued in 2013. System development is continued in accordance with the principle of continuous improvement.
The EurepGAP name is created as follows:
• EUREP: Euro Retailer Produce Working Group
• GAP: Good Agricultural Practice
EurepGAP is a set of internationally recognized farming standards focused on good agricultural practices. The EurepGAP Certificate for consumers and retailers proves that food meets the accepted safety and quality standards, that it protects the health and safety welfare of employees and that food is produced in a sustainable manner with environmental problems in mind.
Today, the EurepGAP standard has become a global standard that is valid all over the world. Nearly 80 of the major retailers and manufacturers operating in the European Union countries are registered in the EurepGAP or GlobalGAP system.
The EurepGAP standard is applicable to both individual working farmers and large producer groups such as cooperatives, exporters and packaging companies. All these organizations are also expected to meet the requirements for Quality Management standards and to be able to manage the links between manufacturers.
After the adoption of the EurepGAP standard by the European Union, it was sought as a prerequisite for the entry of agricultural products into Europe. In a sense, in the latest versions of this standard, which emerged as a farm management system, it also established ISO certification criteria and auditor and certification rules.
What Does EurepGAP Standard Gain to Manufacturer Companies?
Without the guarantees provided by the EurepGAP standard, agricultural producers cannot access markets. Certification bodies carry out the necessary audit activities based on the authorization they have received from national and international accreditation bodies and, if deemed appropriate, issue EurepGAP Certificate.
The benefits provided by EurepGAP to food manufacturers are as follows:
- It is shown to retailers, product traders, importers, customers in short, that the products are produced using good agricultural practices.
- A sense of trust is created in consumers
- Provides competitive power
- Provides access to national and international markets
- Improve business efficiency and efficiency
- Processes related to continuous improvement activities are implemented
- No need for a second audit for retailers
The steps of the certification process are:
- The scope of the certification work is determined
- Optionally, a pre-audit to assess the current state of agricultural practices
- In order to verify the implementation of EurepGAP system structure, first audit studies are carried out by taking into consideration the relevant legal regulations.
- EurepGAP standard audits for certification
- If no negativity is detected, EurepGAP Certificate is issued and delivered to the company
- Interim checks are then carried out at regular intervals to monitor continuous improvement
Obtaining an EurepGAP Certificate has many advantages as mentioned above, but there have been several disadvantages in practice. For example, there was difficulty in adapting the standards to the legislation of different countries. Especially in terms of employee hygiene. Moreover, since all issues are covered by documents, it does not allow much freedom of decision. The system also requires too many records to be kept.
What are the Scope and Criteria of the EurepGAP Standard?
The scope of the EurepGAP standard is expanded with continuous improvement efforts. The products covered by this standard for today are:
- Seedlings and seeds similar production materials
- Fruits and vegetables
- Flowers and ornamental plants
- Integrated farm safety of cattle and sheep farms, cereals, tea, feed and so on
- Safety of integrated aquaculture, trout, sea bass farms and similar
- Green (raw) coffee
Not only the European Union countries, but also many other countries around the world require the EurepGAP Certificate as a proof of good agricultural practices and require the implementation of this standard.
Entities applying to a certification body to obtain EurepGAP Certificate must comply with the eligibility criteria set by the standard. For the standard, the following compliance levels have been determined:
- Major compliance level: The level of EurepGAP standard that must be complied with.
- Minor compliance level: At least the percentage 95 of the criteria set by the EurepGAP standard is complied with.
- Level of recommendation: Determined during the audit, without considering any ratio, taking into account the audit conditions.
Critical mandatory criteria of the EurepGAP standard are as follows:
- Traceability: All products must be traceable from production to processing.
- Seed: Genetically modified organisms should be cultivated in accordance with all legal regulations on aquaculture.
- Records of the use of plant protection drugs: All information, including the type of culture, date of application, trade name of the drug and the name of the person performing the application, should be recorded.
The non-critical mandatory criteria of the EurepGAP standard are as follows:
- Records: The cultivation conditions for all production stages must be in accordance with GAP guidelines and detailed records of these must be maintained.
- Fertilization: All fertilizers should be used in accordance with the needs of the culture plant.
- Harvest and hygiene: Clean toilets and bathing conditions should be provided for workers working in and around the workplace.
The EurepGAP standard also has the following criteria:
- Soil and soil tillage: Mechanical soil tillage should be carried out to protect or improve the structure of the soil.
- Fertilization: In order to prevent loss of plant nutritional values in soil, alternation or soil protection measures should be taken.
- Work area health and safety: Accident and emergency plans must be posted in the work area against any hazardous situation.
How EurepGAP Certification works?
Naturally, the manufacturing companies that apply the EurepGAP standard have to obtain this certificate. Otherwise, there is no other way to prove themselves and their products.
If the EurepGAP system is not yet installed in the company, the first thing to do is to take a consultancy service or to make system quality documentation studies with its own means. After the enterprise is ready for inspection, a certification institution may be applied to request certification work. After a contract is signed with the certification body, the work starts. First, a work program is prepared for the supervision of the enterprise. Inspection works are then started at the facilities of the enterprise.
If there is any deficiency, the company is given time to complete them. If no deficiency has been identified or if deficiencies have been completed within the given period, the audit report shall be prepared and submitted for certification approval. After the approval process is completed, approval is announced in the GlobalGAP database.
our organization TÜRCERT Technical Control and Certification Inc., EurepGAP (GlobalGAP) and certification studies are ready to help with any doubts.