Technical News for

Certification Bodies – Issue 04/2022

Dear GLOBALG.A.P. scheme manager,

In this issue you will read about:

1. TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION ....................................................................................................... 2
2. INTEGRATED FARM ASSURANCE .................................................................................................. 2
2.1 IFA v6: final version (New) ...................................................................................................... 2
2.2 IFA v6: postponement of the IFA v6 obligatory date (New) .................................................... 2
2.3 IFA v6 roll out: registration, audit, and certification in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems (New) 2
2.4 New residue monitoring system checklist (New) .................................................................... 5
2.5 Effect of IFA suspension on add-ons (New) ........................................................................... 5
2.6 IFA audit of central PHUs (New)............................................................................................. 5
2.7 Walmart U.S. acceptance of IFA v6 for fruit and vegetables and flowers and ornamentals
(New) ...................................................................................................................................... 5
2.8 Alignment with International Fresh Produce Association Ethical Charter on
Responsible Labor Practices (New) ....................................................................................... 6
2.9 IFA v5.4-1-GFS: updated online test (New) ........................................................................... 6
2.10 Updated rules for CB farm auditor OLTs, CB QMS auditor tests, and CB IHT tests (New) ... 6
2.11 Promotional videos for aquaculture and fruit and vegetables (New) ...................................... 7
2.12 Clarification for IFA for hops (New)......................................................................................... 8
2.13 Registered Trainer program fee structure (New) .................................................................... 8
3. TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS FOR COMPANIES SEEKING COC CERTIFICATION (ONLY
APPLICABLE TO CROPS/PLANTS SCOPES) ................................................................................ 8
4. CFP: CLARIFICATION FOR RECOGNIZED STANDARDS AT POST-FARM LEVEL (NEW) ....... 10
5. CFM V3.0 OLT .................................................................................................................................. 10
6. HPSS (NEW) .................................................................................................................................... 10
7. ADD-ON-RELATED UPDATES ........................................................................................................ 11
7.1 GRASP news ........................................................................................................................ 11
7.2 Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule Add-on .............................................. 12
7.3 BioDiversity add-on news ..................................................................................................... 14
7.4 Nurture Module v11.3 (New) ................................................................................................. 15
7.5 Nurture Module v11.4 (New) ................................................................................................. 15
7.6 Impact-Driven Approach to Sustainability add-on (for flowers and ornamentals) ................ 15
7.7 Data Access Rules update for GLOBALG.A.P. PLUS add-on ............................................. 17
8. CERTIFICATION BODY ACADEMY NEWS .................................................................................... 17
8.1 Payment by bank transfer now available in the CB Academy (New) ................................... 17
9. GLOBALG.A.P. IT UPDATES .......................................................................................................... 17
9.1 Login credentials for VS and AOH (New) ............................................................................. 17
9.2 Reduced positions after decimal point for production area in database (New) .................... 18
9.3 New GLOBALG.A.P. data access rules version 4 (New) ..................................................... 18

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1. Technical communication
This technical communication is uploaded to the GLOBALG.A.P. document center and the CB
extranet. It is also sent to the scheme managers of each approved and provisionally approved
certification body (CB), to the technical committees, to the hosts of the national technical working
groups, to the GLOBALG.A.P. Board, to the GLOBALG.A.P. accreditation bodies, and to all
benchmarked scheme and benchmarked checklist owners. You can ask us to add selected
persons to the mailing list or to send these technical news releases to all your registered staff by
sending your request to Valentin Pazachev at pazachev@globalgap.org.
Several of the chapters included have been previously communicated to you and have been
added with little or no changes. These are marked with Previously communicated: XX Month
XXXX. Chapters with new information have been marked with (New) next to the title.

2. Integrated Farm Assurance

2.1 IFA v6: final version (New)

The final version of the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) version 6 standard was published on 29
September 2022. This version replaced the previous interim final version published on 26 April.
The update includes minor language changes for clarification, as well as some minor technical
changes. Detailed changes are recorded in the version/edition update register of each document.
The documents can be accessed via the GLOBALG.A.P. document center or the IFA v6 checklist
generator.
The summary of changes document on our website was also updated and includes changes
between IFA v5 and the final version of IFA v6.

2.2 IFA v6: postponement of the IFA v6 obligatory date (New)

We hereby announce that the IFA v6 obligatory date is being postponed to 1 January 2024
instead of 1 October 2023. The transition period for the transition from IFA v5.2 to IFA v6 Smart
for fruit and vegetables, flowers and ornamentals, hops, and aquaculture has been extended to
20 months, instead of 12.
This obligatory date is linked to the audit date.
The last possible audit date for the IFA v5.2 sub-scopes fruit and vegetables, flowers and
ornamentals, and hops, and the aquaculture scope is 31 December 2023.
Combinable crops, plant propagation material, and tea will be published later. IFA for livestock
will be phased out as communicated in TN 03/2022.
The IFA v6 GFS obligatory date will be communicated as soon as this edition is Global Food
Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized. IFA v5.4-1 will remain valid until IFA v6 GFS is GFSI
recognized.

2.3 IFA v6 roll out: registration, audit, and certification in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems
(New)
IFA v6 certificates (for the Smart and GFS editions) may only be issued through the
GLOBALG.A.P. IT system, Validation Service (VS). There is therefore no longer a paper
certificate template in the IFA v6 general regulations. This will guarantee that no certificates are
issued without being registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems and greatly reduce the number
of fake certificates. There will be three ways to enter data and issue a certificate: manual entry
through the web interface (VS website), through an API if the CB has its own certification software,
and via a master upload sheet (similar to the current master data/product upload sheet).

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The prerequisite for issuing a certificate is to have the audit checklist results transferred to the
GLOBALG.A.P. IT system, Audit Online Hub (AOH). There will be three ways to enter data and
issue uniform audit reports: manual entry through the web interface (AOH website), through an
API if the CB has its own certification software, and offline through an (Excel) upload.
These tools will be gradually implemented in the live GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems according to the
following plan.
Issuing certificates
CBs will be able to issue IFA v6 certificates via VS from mid-February 2023 and GLOBALG.A.P.
Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) version 2 letters of conformance from 1 April 2023
at the latest. Data entry will initially be limited to manual entry through the web interface and
through APIs. Before VS becomes available, CBs shall not be permitted to issue any IFA v6
certificates or GRASP v2 letters of conformance using their own templates (i.e., no certificates
may be issued at all). Audits may be conducted, but certification shall not be permitted. These
audits will not be registered in AOH, and CBs may use their own checklists and report
formats/tools.
Until all three data entry methods have been launched in AOH, CBs may issue IFA v6 certificates
via VS without having the audit checklist registered in AOH. CBs shall use their own checklists
and reporting methods as is currently the case. This does not apply to GRASP, see below.
CBs will be able to utilize the upload functionality for managing certificate information to the fullest
extent (including production sites, product handling units (PHUs), etc.) from 1 April 2023 at the
latest.
If IFA v6 Smart audits are conducted before the aforementioned dates, an IFA v5.2 certificate’s
validity may be extended by 4 months and the new IFA v6 certificates shall have a validity of 12
months minus the extension period. This will avoid any gaps in the producer’s certification status.
Registering audit/checklist data
The GRASP checklist will initially be available in AOH. It is due to become available at the same
time as it becomes possible to issue GRASP v2 letters of conformance through VS, from
1 April 2023 at the latest. Registering GRASP assessment reports in AOH will therefore be a
prerequisite for issuing GRASP v2 letters of conformance. Before this date, no GRASP v2 letters
of conformance may be issued by CBs using their own templates (i.e., no letters of conformance
may be issued at all). GRASP v2 will be available in the BETA AOH environment for one month
before it is released in the live AOH and VS.
Please remember that compliance with GRASP v2 is a prerequisite for IFA v6 aquaculture
certification. As communicated in TN 03/2022, CBs are allowed, as an exception, to use GRASP
v.1.3-1-i in combination with IFA v6 for aquaculture until GRASP v2 becomes available in AOH
and VS.
CBs will be able to utilize the offline checklist tool to enter audit/assessment results and generate
reports from AOH from 1 April 2023 at the latest. The upload of CB audit/assessment information
for IFA v6 and GRASP v2 will become obligatory from that date.
The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat will send an official notification to CBs as soon as each step is
available in the BETA environment for testing purposes or in the live VS or AOH. In the meantime,
we encourage CBs to start using the new IFA v6 audit and certification processes and continue
with their accreditation processes for IFA v6.
Other add-ons
All other add-ons will be implemented in VS and AOH gradually. For as long as a required add-
on has not been fully implemented in VS and AOH, CBs shall use IFA v5 and the current
GLOBALG.A.P. database.

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Other standards
Other standards, e.g., Compound Feed Manufacturing (CFM), Crops for Processing (CfP),
Harmonized Produce Safety Assurance (HPSS), Chain of Custody (CoC), and PFA (localg.a.p.),
will be available in the GLOBALG.A.P. database until further notice.
 GFSI application process for IFA v6 GFS
Previously communicated: 29 July 2022
We would like to remind you that IFA v6 GFS will become obligatory once it is GFSI recognized
(for those producers requiring GFSI approved standard certifications). GLOBALG.A.P.
automatically granted provisional approval for IFA v6 GFS for the respective scope to every IFA
v5.4-1-GFS approved CB from May 2022. For IFA v6 GFS, CBs will need to get accreditation at
scope level within six months of IFA v6 GFS becoming GFSI recognized. CBs will remain
‘provisionally approved’ and be allowed to issue an unlimited number of nonaccredited certificates
for IFA v6 GFS for the time being.
Depending on feasibility and the willingness of clients, we kindly request the involvement of the
CBs in this process.
GLOBALG.A.P. will be offering a financial incentive to CBs of US$1,000 for each accredited
certificate issued for IFA v6 GFS for fruit and vegetables or aquaculture. This incentive will
remain available until the required 10 accredited certificates have been issued. Since two CBs
are required for the GFSI application, the maximum one CB can receive is US$9,000 (per scope),
as the tenth certificate would need to be issued by another CB. This incentive will be issued by
GLOBALG.A.P. as a credit and CBs may use this money at their own discretion, e.g., to cover
accreditation costs, offer incentives to producers, etc.
Please note, that CBs that want to benefit from this incentive need to be accredited before IFA v6
GFS officially achieves GFSI recognition, as the 10 certificates shall be accredited. If you believe
it will be possible for you to conduct any number of IFA v6 GFS audits and issue the subsequent
certificates in the coming months kindly let us know (customer_support@globalgap.org)! We can
arrange a phone call at a time convenient for you, should you want to discuss this in more detail.
 CB training for IFA v6
In-house trainers (New)
As already communicated in TN 03/2022, all already approved and new in-house trainers (IHTs)
shall attend a full IHT training per scope (online or in person) and pass the respective test. The
deadline for IHTs to become trained has now been extended to 31 December 2023, instead of
September 2023.
Quality management system auditors
Previously communicated: 29 July 2022
All new and approved CB quality management system (QMS) auditors shall attend QMS auditor
training online or in person and pass the test by 31 December 2023. All already approved CB
QMS auditors shall attend an update QMS training, and new CB QMS auditors shall attend a full
CB QMS auditor training.

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Farm auditors (inspectors)
Previously communicated: 29 July 2022
CB farm auditors (previously called inspectors) shall complete the necessary GLOBALG.A.P.
farm auditor online tests for the relevant scope within three months of its release in their working
language. The working languages are triggered by registration in CB-AT.
 Benchmarking information for IFA v6
Previously communicated: 29 July 2022
As previously communicated, benchmarking rules for IFA v6 are expected to be published later
in 2022.
The (re)benchmarking processes will start on 1 October 2022 using the final version of IFA v6
Smart and will be completed by 1 July 2024.

2.4 New residue monitoring system checklist (New)

In the framework of the IFA v6 Smart and IFA v6 GFS principles and criteria (P&Cs) for the plants
scope, the producer has the option to participate in a residue monitoring system (RMS) audited
by a CB. The P&Cs referring to residue analysis are fulfilled by participating in an audited RMS.
RMS participation is available for all IFA v6 certification options:
• Option 1 individual certification and Option 1 multisite certification with or without a QMS
• Option 2 group certification
If the RMS is operated by the producer group, it shall be added to the Option 2 QMS checklist in
AOH. If the RMS is operated by an independent service provider, the RMS checklist shall be
registered in AOH.
GLOBALG.A.P. has published the RMS checklist for IFA v6, which will become obligatory on
1 January 2024, and it is available in the GLOBALG.A.P. document center.

2.5 Effect of IFA suspension on add-ons (New)

GLOBALG.A.P. add-ons are used in combination with IFA and are not standalone products. If a
CB applies a suspension to a legal entity with production processes certified to IFA, this sanction
shall also apply to the add-ons. While the reasons for the sanction may not relate to the control
points and compliance criteria (CPCCs)/P&Cs in the add-on, the add-on cannot appear in the
GLOBALG.A.P. database with a valid proof of assessment/letter of conformance while the IFA
certificate is suspended.
If the suspension of the legal entity applies to an add-on, this shall not affect the IFA certificate.

2.6 IFA audit of central PHUs (New)

We hereby remind CBs that the IFA audit of central PHUs shall be combined with the QMS audit.
This combined QMS and central PHU audit shall be conducted by the CB QMS auditor.

2.7 Walmart U.S. acceptance of IFA v6 for fruit and vegetables and flowers and
ornamentals (New)
GLOBALG.A.P. has rebenchmarked to the Walmart U.S. position on pollinator health
requirements. Previously, Walmart had accepted IFA v5.3-GFS and above for fruit and
vegetables and IFA v5.2 and above for flowers and ornamentals. Early acceptance of IFA v6 was
based on the draft public consultation versions of IFA v6, before the launch of the interim and
final versions.

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Due to the changes between the draft public consultation version and the interim and final
versions of IFA v6, Walmart U.S. conducted a rebenchmarking process which warranted
adaptations for the final flowers and ornamentals P&Cs that were published in September. The
final versions of IFA v6 for fruit and vegetables and flowers and ornamentals have been fully
accepted as aligned to Walmart U.S.’s integrated pest management requirements.

2.8 Alignment with International Fresh Produce Association Ethical Charter on

Responsible Labor Practices (New)
IFA, in combination with the GRASP add-on, was already recognized as being aligned to the
Ethical Charter by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA, formerly United Fresh and
PMA). The IFPA now lists GLOBALG.A.P. as an audit provider for the Ethical Charter, see the
Ethical Charter website for more information.

2.9 IFA v5.4-1-GFS: updated online test (New)

Previously communicated on 29 August 2022
The IFA v5.4-1-GFS online test (OLT) has been available in Portuguese and Italian since
29 August 2022. All inspectors and auditors who have not yet passed the OLT in English and who
have either of these languages registered as their working language shall pass it either within the
next three months (i.e., by 29 November 2022) or – if they pass it at a later date – before
conducting their next inspection/audit.

2.10 Updated rules for CB farm auditor OLTs, CB QMS auditor tests, and CB IHT tests
(New)
In TN 01/2022, GLOBALG.A.P. communicated the rules for IHT tests and OLTs that would apply
from the launch of IFA v6. In the following we present the updated rules:

Standard/ Attempts Additional attempts

Add-on

IFA IHT test 2 attempts Failing any part of the test twice will require reattending a
GLOBALG.A.P. CB in-house training and successfully
passing the test. Failing the test a third time leads to
blocking of the IHT candidate and a new IHT shall be
named and trained.

IFA farm auditor 2 attempts Third attempt under GLOBALG.A.P.’s supervision, fourth
test attempt after attending an IHT training.

CFM IHT tests 2 attempts Failing any part of the test twice will require reattending a
GLOBALG.A.P. CB in-house training and successfully
passing the test. Failing the test a third time leads to
blocking of the IHT candidate and a new IHT shall be
named and trained.

CFM farm auditor 2 attempts Third attempt under GLOBALG.A.P.’s supervision, fourth
test attempt after attending an IHT training

IFA QMS auditor 2 attempts Third attempt after attending a QMS auditor training.
test
If the test is failed again then this QMS auditor shall
be blocked for the whole current version.

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Standard/ Attempts Additional attempts
Add-on

CoC IHT test 2 attempts Same as IFA

CoC auditor test 2 attempts Same as IFA

PHA IHT test 2 attempts Same as IFA

PHA auditor test 2 attempts Same as IFA

GRASP IHT test 2 attempts Same as IFA

GRASP assessor 2 attempts Same as IFA

test

Nurture Module 2 attempts Same as IFA

IHT test

Nurture Module 2 attempts Same as IFA

auditor test

AH-DLL GROW 2 attempts Same as IFA

IHT and auditor
test

SPRING IHT test 2 attempts Same as IFA

SPRING auditor 2 attempts Same as IFA

test

FSMA 2 attempts Third attempt under GLOBALG.A.P.’s supervision, fourth

attempt after retaking the FSMA PSR IHT web training

NON-GM 2 attempts Same as IFA

TR4 2 attempts Same as IFA

BioDiversity add- 2 attempts Third attempt under GLOBALG.A.P.’s supervision, fourth

on attempt after attending an IHT training

AH-Beter Voor 2 attempts Third attempt under GLOBALG.A.P.’s supervision, fourth

add-on attempt after attending an IHT training

2.11 Promotional videos for aquaculture and fruit and vegetables (New)
GLOBALG.A.P. published promotional videos for the aquaculture scope and for fruit and
vegetables certification (targeting the US market). We invite CBs to watch the videos and use
them when approaching new clients.

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2.12 Clarification for IFA for hops (New)
We hereby inform you that the current valid versions of IFA hops are IFA v5.3-GFS and IFA v6
Smart.
IFA v5.3-GFS became obligatory for the hops sub-scope on 21 May 2020, as communicated in
TN 01.1/2020.
Due to the hop industry no longer pursuing GFSI recognition, IFA v5.3-GFS was not updated to
IFA v5.4-1-GFS for the hops sub-scope.
We communicated to CBs that the hops sub-scope would not be rebenchmarked to GFSI for IFA
v5.4-1-GFS in TN 04/2020.
IFA v5.3-GFS will therefore remain valid for the hops sub-scope. Note that, due to a difference of
opinion between GLOBALG.A.P. and GFSI, IFA v5.2 remained available for all products, allowing
remote audits during the pandemic. This impacted all standards including the hops sub-scope.
For CBs this meant that IFA v5.2 was available as an option in the GLOBALG.A.P. database.
Moving forward, CBs shall use IFA v5.3-GFS for hops in the database and for all IFA v5
audits/inspections even though IFA v5.2 for hops is still available in the database (due to an IT
issue that cannot be resolved at short notice).
IFA v5.3-GFS is already obsolete for the fruit and vegetables sub-scope and the aquaculture
scope. The current IFA v5.3-GFS for the hops sub-scope will remain available or, alternatively,
producers may begin to use IFA v6 Smart for hops.

2.13 Registered Trainer program fee structure (New)

IHTs are eligible to join the Registered Trainer program for IFA v5 free of charge. IFA v5 will
remain available for audits until December 2023.
Now that IFA v6 has been launched and CB IHTs will soon be updating their scope training (if
they have not already done so), the following fee structure for the new version shall apply if they
wish to continue with the Registered Trainer program:
• Registered Trainers (non-Community Members): €490 per year
• Community Members: membership fee includes one Registered Trainer. An extra fee of
€150 per trainer per year applies for additional Registered Trainers.
IHTs interested in updating their Registered Trainer status for IFA v6, are kindly requested to
contact registered_trainer@globalgap.org.

3. Temporary exemptions for companies seeking CoC certification (only applicable to

crops/plants scopes)
 Extension of the exception period for subcontracted companies (New)
We hereby inform you that the Chain of Custody Technical Committee (CoC TC) has agreed to
extend the temporary exception that allows companies to use subcontractors without CoC
certification (as presented in TN 03/2021) from 1 October 2022 to 31 December 2023 to align with
the exception period already defined for suppliers without certification as presented below.
The requirements for the extended exception period shall remain unaltered.
For the initial audit, conducted before 31 December 2023, GLOBALG.A.P. will accept the
inclusion of high-risk subcontractors without CoC certification on the company’s approved
subcontractor list.
The applicant company must provide the CB with the following documentation together with the
application for CoC certification.

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Requirements for the company seeking CoC certification:
• Evidence that the subcontracted production site is certified to a GFSI-recognized post-
farm certification scheme or the QS Wholesale Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes Standard (QS-
System Bündler) at the time when the subcontracted process takes place
• Evidence of sending a letter/email to all high-risk subcontractors without certification not
included in the company’s certification process requiring them to achieve CoC certification.
• An outsourcing agreement with each subcontractor without certification specifying that the
subcontractor shall at least:
o Conform to all applicable certification requirements and the organization’s
procedures related to the outsourced activity
o Not further outsource any processing
o Commit to achieving CoC certification
o Accept the right of the organization’s CB or GLOBALG.A.P. to audit the
subcontractor if considered necessary, e.g., for compliance investigation,
traceability test
• The organization shall provide documented procedures to its subcontractor(s) that ensure
the following:
o During the outsourced activity, the subcontractor shall not mix or contaminate
products from GLOBALG.A.P. certified production processes with any other products
from noncertified production processes.
o The subcontractor shall be able to demonstrate a mass balance for the products from
GLOBALG.A.P. certified production processes.
Requirements for the high-risk subcontractor company without certification:
• Certification to a GFSI-recognized food safety system or QS-System Bündler
Once in possession of this documentation, the CB may choose to conduct the audit and certify
the applicant company even if not all of its high-risk subcontractors have CoC certification or are
included in the company’s certification process.
 Reminder about the exception period for suppliers
Previously communicated on 29 July 2022
We would like to remind all CBs about the previously communicated exception described in
TN 03/2022.
Under normal circumstances, CoC certification can only be achieved if all suppliers have certified
production processes. Due to the difficulty of achieving certification for the entire supply chain at
the same time or in a complete downstream sequence, GLOBALG.A.P. has decided to offer a
transition period, during which a downstream company will be able to achieve CoC certification,
even if part of the supply chain is not yet certified, provided that the following preconditions are
met:
The exemption is only applicable if the noncertified suppliers are:
• Traders/Brokers:
o Without physical possession of products or
o With physical possession of packed and labeled products only

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 • Companies storing, packing, and/or labeling products that originate from production
processes already certified to a GFSI-recognized post-farm certification scheme or the QS
Wholesale Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes Standard (QS-System Bündler).
Together with the application for initial CoC certification, the company must provide the CB with
the following documentation.
A. Requirements for the company seeking exemption during initial CoC certification
(Company A). These documents must be presented for CB evaluation during the initial
audit:
1. Evidence of sending a letter/email to all suppliers requiring them to achieve CoC
certification before the date of Company A’s recertification audit, or within 12
months of the date of the letter/email (whichever is earlier). There should be
evidence of commitment by the supplier(s) to achieve CoC certification and
acceptance of an audit by Company A’s CB or GLOBALG.A.P. in case of a claim
investigation.
2. Company A must have a suppliers list with information about the IFA/CoC
certification status of every supplier.
3. Company A must have documented information about the traceability of the
products through the noncertified production part of the chain.
4. Evidence that the company involved in storing, packing, and/or labeling certified
products has a valid GFSI-recognized post-farm certification scheme or QS
Wholesale Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes Standard (QS-System Bündler) certification.
B. Requirements for the suppliers without certification:
1. Registration with an approved CB as per the CoC general regulations part I, section
4.2 (The CB registers the company in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems and assigns
a CoC Number (status ‘accepted’ in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems)).
2. Signed commitment with the CoC client and with the CB to have the certification
audit conducted before the date referred to under section A.1.
Once in possession of this documentation, the CB may grant certification to the company.
Even if not all suppliers have CoC certification. This exemption only applies for initial
audits conducted before 31 December 2023.

4. CfP: clarification for recognized standards at post-farm level (New)

In the CfP general rules, Annex I.2, 1.2 Information regarding production sites/product handling
units, 1.2.1 Production sites and/or PHUs, xii) processor certification information is requested.
We hereby inform you that all GFSI-recognized post-farm gate food safety standards will be
recognized by GLOBALG.A.P.

5. CFM v3.0 OLT

Previously communicated on 24 August 2022
The CFM v3.0 OLT has been available in Spanish since 24 August 2022. All auditors who have
this language registered as their working language shall pass it before conducting their first audit.

6. HPSS (New)
The IFPA will be hosting the annual Produce GAPs Harmonized Food Safety Standard training
in a hybrid format on 2–3 November online (Zoom), with a one-day on-farm section on

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17 November 2022 at NC State University’s Produce Handling Facility and research farm at the
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River, North Carolina (near
Asheville, NC, USA). Participants must attend the online section in order to be eligible to attend
the on-farm session. The training is primarily aimed at CBs and auditors/inspectors but is open to
the public. The Harmonized Standard training will also include a section dedicated to the HPSS
general regulations and additional HPSS CPCCs. Trainings held by the IFPA satisfy the additional
requirement for any new IHT or for new auditors and inspectors to complete the Produce GAPs
Field Operations and Harvesting and Post-Harvest Operations Harmonized Standards training in
accordance with the HPSS general regulations. GLOBALG.A.P. staff will be assisting with the
training. You can register here.

7. Add-on-related updates

7.1 GRASP news

 GRASP v2: postponement of the GRASP v2 obligatory date (New)
We hereby announce that the GRASP v2 obligatory date is being postponed to 1 January 2024
instead of 1 October 2023, as is the obligatory date for IFA v6.
This obligatory date is linked to the assessment date.
CB approval for GRASP v2
As already communicated in TN 03/2022, all CBs currently approved for GRASP will be
provisionally approved for GRASP v2 during the transition period if they fulfill the provisional
approval requirements for IFA v6. If those CBs fail to become finally approved for IFA v6 by
December 2023, they will also lose their provisional approval for GRASP v2. Once the transition
period ends, in order to conduct their first GRASP v2 assessment, they shall have at least two
GRASP approved assessors already qualified for IFA v6 as well.
CB training
Previously communicated: 29 July 2022
All already approved GRASP IHTs shall be retrained for GRASP v2 and shall pass the IHT tests
for GRASP v2 by December 2023 at the latest. All already approved GRASP assessors shall
pass the new GRASP online tests for v2 within three months of GRASP being released in their
working language. The working language is determined by the language entered in CB-AT during
registration. CBs shall be responsible for checking the existence and compliance of all GRASP
assessors before they take the online test. This will be confirmed in CB-AT during registration.
 GRASP v2: final version (New)
The final version of the GRASP v2 add-on was published on 29 September 2022. This version
replaced the previous version published on 26 April. The update includes minor language
changes for clarification. Detailed changes are recorded in the version/edition update register of
each document.
The documents, including a shortened family farm checklist can be accessed via the
GLOBALG.A.P. document center or the IFA v6 checklist generator.
 GRASP national interpretation guidelines (New)
Version 1.3-1-i of the GRASP national interpretation guidelines were published for the following
countries in July, August, and September 2022: Latvia, Algeria, and Finland

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7.2 Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule Add-on
Previously communicated on 7 September 2022
The GLOBALG.A.P. FSMA PSR add-on v1.3 (Scheme ID 321) was published on 7 September
2022, is available in AOH, and will become obligatory for assessments on 7 December 2022. It
will be obligatory to conduct all FSMA PSR add-on assessments against v1.3 from
7 December 2022. It is permitted to issue an FSMA PSR add-on certificate of conformance under
v1.2 for those assessments conducted on or before 6 December 2022.
What action must be taken?
1. Notify your clients
Please inform your clients that upcoming audits/inspections on or after 7 December 2022 will be
conducted using FSMA PSR add-on v1.3 for fruit and vegetables and that they shall use the new
checklist for the self-assessment as well the CB audit/inspection.
2. Attend the FSMA PSR add-on v1.3 update training for IHTs
All CBs and auditors/inspectors currently approved for FSMA PSR add-on v1.2 will be allowed to
conduct FSMA PSR add-on v1.3 assessments.
One FSMA PSR IHT (or person responsible for the FSMA PSR add-on with the necessary
Produce Safety Alliance training) shall complete a one-hour online training course (in English or
Spanish) focusing only on the new CPCCs without needing to pass a test.
Failure to participate in this training means that the CB will not be able to conduct FSMA
PSR add-on v1.3 assessments from 7 December 2022 (i.e., they will be blocked in the
database because v1.2 will not be available for assessments after that date).
These online update training courses will have a duration of one hour and will take place as
follows:
Training dates, times, and languages
12 Oct, 7 p.m. CEST/10 a.m. Pacific (GMT-7) English
13 Oct, 3 p.m. CEST/6 a.m. Pacific (GMT-7) Spanish
13 Oct, 9 p.m. CEST/12 p.m. Pacific (GMT-7) Spanish
No CB approval or CB training fees will apply.
CBs should book a training session by 30 September 2022 at the latest here:
12 October – English session
13 October – Spanish session
13 October – Spanish session
FSMA PSR add-on IHTs shall train their approved auditors/inspectors internally after completing
the online training. Evidence of the internal training shall be available during any integrity
assessment.
What is new in v1.3?
Changes have been made to the:
• FSMA PSR add-on general rules specifications
• FSMA PSR add-on CPCCs

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1. General rules specifications
The changes to the general rules specifications comprise clarifications of existing requirements.
Compared to v1.2, these changes are:
• Alignment with current IFA v5 language and style guide
o Changes in grammar
o Removal of references to the PSA standard
• Clarification of parallel production/ownership, which is not applicable to the FSMA PSR
add-on
• Clarification that the FSMA PSR add-on assessment shall be conducted by the same
CB that conducts the IFA for fruit and vegetables inspection/audit
• Confirmation that FSMA PSR and the accompanying IFA for fruit and vegetables report
must be available in AOH and shared with the certificate holder
• Clarification regarding the FSMA PSR certificate of conformance, that the certificate
includes the total area of the products under the FSMA PSR add-on, which must match
the quantity listed on the IFA for fruit and vegetables certificate.
• Clarifications regarding internal QMS inspectors and auditors.
2. CPCCs
Changes to the CPCCs were made after participation in the FDA’s Voluntary Pilot Program to
Evaluate Alignment of Third-Party Food Safety Standards with FSMA Rules. This update directly
addresses gaps identified by the FDA. The outcome is more specificity in the existing FSMA PSR
add-on CPCCs. Some grammar has been changed, however, the contents and intent remain the
same. Note that this update is not yet compatible with IFA v6, but suitable for IFA v5.2 and v5.4-
1-GFS. Compared to v1.2, these changes are:
• Addressing personnel hygiene, including glove management
• Addressing packaging, including adequate materials
• Specifications for handwashing water and facilities
• Ensuring records include actual values
• Addressing measuring equipment calibration, including specifying examples and ensuring
an adequate number of devices for use
• The addition of two QMS questions which shall be addressed at the QMS level, including
ensuring that producer group members/production sites are properly identified and
assessed, and that internal QMS inspectors/auditors maintain qualifications relevant to
FSMA PSR and maintain independence, confidentiality, and impartiality
The full list of changes is available in the version/edition update register of the respective
document and tracked changed versions of both the general rules specifications and CPCCs are
available.
Reminders:
• The FSMA PSR add-on assessment report, full IFA for fruit and vegetables
inspection/audit report, and corrective action report shall be uploaded to AOH.
• The FSMA PSR add-on assessment and IFA for fruit and vegetables inspection/audit
report includes the completed assessment/inspection checklist with comments.

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 • The FSMA PSR add-on certificate of conformance for v1.2 and v1.3 shall be uploaded to
the GLOBALG.A.P. database.
• All inspection/audit reports shared externally shall be protected.
• The CB FSMA PSR add-on assessment shall be conducted in combination with the IFA
inspection/audit. If FSMA PSR add-on assessments are conducted mid-IFA cycle after the
initial or recertification inspection, a midcycle recertification of IFA in the database is not
required. However, a complete IFA inspection/audit shall be conducted together with the
FSMA PSR add-on assessment to be valid. The midcycle checklist is only available as a
tool to support the inspector/auditor. The midcycle checklist is not uploaded to AOH.
• Last FSMA PSR add-on v1.2 assessment date: 6 December 2022
• Last certificate of conformance decision date: in accordance with the usual general rules
specifications timelines
• Obligatory FSMA PSR add-on v1.3 assessment date: 7 December 2022
• The FSMA PSR add-on v1.3 may be combined with IFA v5.2 or with IFA v5.4-GFS.
For further questions or clarifications, contact standard_support@globalgap.org

7.3 BioDiversity add-on news

 BioDiversity add-on OLT
Previously communicated on 18 July 2022
The BioDiversity OLT has been available since 18 July 2022. All inspectors and auditors who
have either English or Spanish registered as their working language shall pass it either within the
next three months (i.e., by 18 October 2022) or – if they pass it at a later date – before conducting
their next assessment.
 BioDiversity add-on: checklist upload to GLOBALG.A.P. database (New)
GLOBALG.A.P. kindly requests all CBs working with the BioDiversity add-on to upload the audit
checklist to the GLOBALG.A.P. database after each inspection/audit. Even though this is not
mandatory, uploading checklists is essential to advance the improvement of the add-on. CBs’
collaboration would be greatly appreciated.
 BioDiversity add-on: clarification regarding communication on Option 2 (New)
According to the add-on rules (incl. the general rules specifications and technical news) internal
audits shall include 100% of producer group members/production sites in order to validate the
implementation of the add-on.
GLOBALG.A.P. will allow an exception to the application of the BioDiversity add-on general rules
specifications version 1, point 5.1.a), permitting producers to conduct internal audits against the
BioDiversity add-on with less than 100% of the producer group members/production sites.
This exception shall only apply during the current project phase and initial rollout of the add-on.
Producer groups/Multisite producers who need to make use of this exception to comply with the
BioDiversity add-on shall ask their CB to send a request for an exception to
standards_support@globalgap.org including justification and the respective GLOBALG.A.P.
Number (GGN).

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 BioDiversity add-on FAQ (New)
Here you can find an FAQ which provides a collection of questions and answers
gathered from online producer meetings conducted in calendar week 32 2022, to support
preparations for the upcoming BioDiversity add-on audit phase.
 BioDiversity add-on: guidance documents (New)
Please note that two guidance documents are now available for the BioDiversity add-on. Currently
they are only available in English. Further languages (German, Spanish, French, and Italian) will
follow this year. The two documents are not normative.
The BioDiversity guidance document is aimed at producers and auditors and designed to support
them in understanding, implementing, and auditing the add-on by giving further explanations for
each control point, including definitions and examples.
The BioDiversity self-check template is a supporting tool that can be used for the self-assessment
and the biodiversity action plan. If used, it can become an integral part of the CB audit.
You can find the BioDiversity add-on guidance documents here.

7.4 Nurture Module v11.3 (New)

As already communicated, Nurture Module v11.3 shall be used for audits from 15 August 2022.
CBs may conduct extension, surveillance, and unannounced assessments against Nurture v11.2
until 15 November 2022.
CBs can also take certification decisions after 15 August 2022 for regular audits against v11.2 if
the audit was conducted before 15 August 2022.

7.5 Nurture Module v11.4 (New)

We would like to inform you that a new Nurture Module version, v11.4, is planned to be published
soon. We will send out more information about this new Nurture Module version soon.

7.6 Impact-Driven Approach to Sustainability add-on (for flowers and ornamentals)

Previously communicated on 5 September 2022
We would like to give you further guidelines for the Impact-Driven Approach to Sustainability (IDA)
add-on assessments (for flowers and ornamentals).
• To ensure the reliability of shared IDA data, a sample of the registered input data shall be
cross-checked by the CB assessor during the assessment. The cross-check is conducted
by actively browsing through the data registered in the producer’s farm management
system (FMS) and comparing a sample of the data to the on-farm conditions.
This may include, for example:
o Comparing the registered amount of fertilizer usage to the size of the farm
o Comparing the registered plant protection products (PPPs) used to the type of crop
(are they authorized?)
o Comparing the virtual fertilizer/PPP stock registered in the FMS to the physical stock
on the farm
o Comparing the registered amounts of water/gas/electricity usage to on-farm meters
o Comparing the registered amounts of diesel to invoices

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 • The CB assessor shall ensure that the producer has registered complete data for all the
products for which production processes are being certified (e.g., for a registered crop
there is data for each month for the four input metrics). The number of months for which
data shall be kept prior to the CB audit depends on whether:
o It is the first IDA module audit (at least 6 months of data)
o It is the first IDA add-on audit (at least 3 months of data)
o It is a subsequent audit taking place at the end of the one-year cycle (at least 12
months of data)
For the IDA add-on, control points and compliance criteria:
• IDA 1.1: The CB assessor shall ensure that the listed Minor Must control points in the
corresponding version of IFA for flowers and ornamentals related to keeping records of
water, energy, PPP, and fertilizer applications are complied with, as this is a Major Must
for IDA.
• IDA 3.1: During the CB assessment, the CB assessor shall, in dialogue with the producer,
verify the producer’s awareness of the critical status of the water sources they use. For
this purpose, the CB assessor shall be knowledgeable about water sources considered
critical in the region of the farm.
• IDA 3.2: The CB assessor shall verify that the producer measures/estimates the volumes
of abstracted water (IDA 3.2.1) and volumes of water used in irrigation (IDA 3.2.2)
separately.
• IDA 4.1: The existing knowledge of the producer about relevant pests does not need to
be documented in writing, it can be verified verbally.
• IDA 4.2: For the integrated pest management (IPM) plan and documented strategies to
manage relevant pests at farm level, it is not necessary for the producer to keep records,
it is only necessary for them to describe their strategies for tackling crop-specific pests.
• IDA 4.2: Action thresholds are defined by the producer. In some cases, the producer may
decide that there shall be zero tolerance towards a specific pest, disease, or weed, i.e.,
the threshold is zero, in other words, their presence is not acceptable.
• IDA 4.3: Records of monitoring results for key pests, diseases, and weeds will be deleted
in IDA v1.1., so there is no need to focus on this control point in IDA v1.0 audits.
• IDA 4.4: The IPM plan (IDA 4.2) shall be evaluated and, if necessary, revised annually.
Not applicable for the first CB audit.
• IDA 5.2: For PPP registration, the registration of substances is sufficient, there is no need
to register biocontrol applications, e.g., number of parasitic wasps, fungi spores, etc.
• IDA 6.1.1: This control point focuses on the energy sources (e.g., diesel, electricity, gas),
not on the devices consuming the energy (e.g., tractors, ventilation, heaters).
• IDA 6.1.1: The CB assessor shall check the producer’s knowledge on the proportion of
renewable energy sources used. There may be cases in which the producer does not
have information about some sources, e.g., if electricity providers do not provide
information about the sources.

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7.7 Data Access Rules update for GLOBALG.A.P. PLUS add-on
Previously communicated on 8 September 2022
We have updated the Specification Rules for the GLOBALG.A.P. PLUS Add-on (McDonald’s Add-
on). The changes concern the data access groups (see the version/edition update register at the
end of the document). Control points and assessment rules remain unchanged.
The updated document can be found in the document center of the CB Extranet.

8. Certification Body Academy news

8.1 Payment by bank transfer now available in the CB Academy (New)

Since the beginning of August 2022, it has been possible to register for CB trainings in the CB
Academy and pay the attendance fee by bank transfer. Besides the possibility to pay by credit
card, there are now two additional payment options. After having registered, the participant will
receive the automatically generated invoice by email, sent to the email address saved in the
participant's account. This means that these invoices can no longer be sent to the email address
which you might have shared with us for financial and invoice matters. Please inform your auditors
or anyone booking CB trainings that these invoices need to be forwarded internally to the person
in charge.

9. GLOBALG.A.P. IT updates
9.1 Login credentials for VS and AOH (New)
• For VS (validation.globalgap.org), the same usernames and passwords apply as for
the LIVE Database (database.globalgap.org).
• For testing purposes please use BETA VS (beta-validation.globalgap.org). For BETA VS
the same username and password applies as for the TRAINING database
(training.globalgap.org).
• BETA, DEMO, and LIVE AOH (audit.globalgap.org) have their own structures with their
own passwords and are not linked to the database. The scheme manager will receive the
log-in information from CB-Admin (cb_admin@globalgap.org) for the LIVE system,
and can request login data for BETA and DEMO from the Customer Support team
(customer_support@globalgap.org). Once they have logged in, the scheme manager
can create the necessary users on any AOH system.
• BETA systems are used to test implementations that will soon be brought to LIVE (AOH
and VS).
• DEMO is a 1:1 copy of LIVE, just for testing, that does not contain the latest updates from
BETA.
• Please note that API tokens are different on each AOH system.
If you need user accounts for the BETA or DEMO AOH, please contact
customer_support@globalgap.org
If your TRAINING database user account does not work (or does not exist) for BETA VS, please
also contact customer_support@globalgap.org
The same applies if you encounter any errors on those systems or have feedback.

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9.2 Reduced positions after decimal point for production area in database (New)
The decision was made to reduce the positions after a decimal point from four (example: 1.000)
to two (example: 1.00) for production areas in the GLOBALG.A.P. database. An update will be
included in the database on 11 October 2022 to validate the entries, and areas with more than
two positions will be rejected. We suggest using two digits from now on to ensure a smooth
transition.

9.3 New GLOBALG.A.P. data access rules version 4 (New)

GLOBALG.A.P. published the updated GLOBALG.A.P. data access rules version 4 following the
IFA v6 data release requirements on 29 September 2022. The new version is available in the
GLOBALG.A.P. document center.

---///----

Sincerely,

GLOBALG.A.P. Certification Body Administration, Benchmarking, and Compliance team

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