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News Release
Media Contact: John Lawrence AGRI FOOD CERTIFICATION FIRST FOOD TRACEABILITY CERTIFICATION BODY TO GAIN USDA ISO GUIDE 65 ACCREDITATION New steps will improve industry best practices and increase food safety Meade, Kan.—December, 28 2006— Agri Food Certification announced today it was audited and found to be in conformance with the Organization for Standardization (ISO) Guide 65 General requirements for bodies operating product certification systems by the USDA. ISO Guide 65 specifies requirements for organizations operating third-party product certification systems. Agri Food Certification is the first certification body evaluated that applies and certifies feed and food traceability standards. Agri Food will provide certification oversight for the nation’s first and only feed and food chain traceability program, the VeriPrime Traceability Assurance System (VTAS). VTAS will introduce new industry best practices for certified traceable food products for traceability across the entire food chain. “Certifiable Traceable” food bearing the VTAS label will also become available to consumers from restaurants and grocers. The audit process is one of the most stringent and detailed ISO-based audits conducted byUSDA, entailing a review of all activities associated with the company’s quality management system, organizational structure, certification operations, and application and certification of the VTAS standards. Operating a certification system that is compliant to ISO Guide 65 means that Agri-Food operates a third-party certification system in a consistent and reliable manner based on internationally recognized methods, which facilitates their acceptance on a national and international basis. Agri Food will extend its certification to all elements of the food chain. The standard that Agri Food will apply is based upon the ISO 22005 Draft International Standard. VTAS will establish unified standards and processes to trace farm, ranch and retail food products throughout the entire food chain. In the future, VeriPrime will also seek to harmonize National Animal Identification System (NAIS), Bioterrorism Act of 2002, ISO, and Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements. Agri Food will perform initial and regular follow-up audits to determine continued authorization for certification and the ability to display the “VeriPrime Certified Traceable” mark. Agri Food will be subject to rigorous audits by the USDA to verify that certification activities are conducted according to the Organization for Standardization (ISO) Guide 65 General requirements for bodies operating a product certification. “Agri Food Certification is pleased to have earned USDA accreditation for this new industry best practice for traceable products,” said Certification Director David Farnum, DVM. “The application of the Draft ISO standard to the VeriPrime Traceability Assurance System is a natural and logical fit. This program derives its strength and credibility from our independent third-party audit and we are committed to scrupulous review and enforcement.” Food retailers who elect to offer consumers “Certified Traceable” food can immediately start the process to begin delivering certified traceable products to consumers. ABOUT AGRI FOOD CERTIFICATION Agri Food Certification is a private certifying body audited by USDA under its ISO Guide 65 assessment program. Agri Food Certification holds an exclusive agreement with VeriPrime, Inc. to administer VTAS. Agri Food Certification is dedicated to maintaining a disciplined system that is responsive to customer feedback, regulatory requirements and the needs of the public for traceability-assured food. Additional information about Agri Food is available at www.agrifoodcert.com. ABOUT VERIPRIME VeriPrime is a member-owned federation of cooperatives including producers, processors and retailers. Working together, these links in the food chain have established a “food safety utility” capable of providing an essential public service, the goal of which is to develop and maintain a program with viable, credible, monitored standards for traceability that provide members, governmental and non-governmental purchasing organizations and consumers the assurance that livestock, produce and food products that have been certified as complying with the applicable standards and are traceable to their point of origin., The VeriPrime Traceability Assurance Standard (VTAS) is designed to provide a standard process to deliver “Certified Traceable” food from farm to fork. Additional information is available at www.veriprime.org . ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION The International Organization for Standardization is a non-governmental organization, a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, located in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO acts as a bridging organization that seeks to reach consensus on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society. Additional information is available at www.iso.org. |
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