GAPs / Audits

Information and documents on two standards used for USDA Harmonized GAP audits are the “Field Operations and Harvesting Harmonized Food Safety Standard” and the “Post-harvest Operations Harmonized Food Safety Standard.”

This document represents generally accepted, broad-based agricultural guidance, developed from current knowledge of food safety practices of FDA, USDA, and others. By identifying basic principles of food safety in blueberries from growing to processing, users of this guide will be better prepared to address elements of food safety concerns and will be better prepared for third party audits

Good Agricultural Practices for the Production and Handling of Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, and Blueberry (Sept 2002)

Document highlighting the basics of maintaining good sanitation and good agricultural practices throughout production and handling of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.

Good Agricultural and Manufacturing (Handling) Safety and Food Defense Practices as Part of Fresh Blueberry Farming, Packing and Distribution

This 2010 North American Blueberry Commission document precedes the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act and Produce Safety Rule and was adapted from a Michigan State University document.

Primus Labs’ online audit version for the field, packing house, greenhouse and cold storage self-audit is now available. We encourage you to try this most convenient of all methods for using our self-audits. As an online submission, it is also no cost to the user. We will score it, benchmark against other audits, develop a corrective measures response, and return it to you via e-mail!

Building manuals that have detailed policies, standard operating procedures, forms and risk assessments is an important part of any company’s food safety and QA program but can be very time consuming. The Primus Labs toolkit is designed to help start off your company’s program by providing simple generic pre-made documents ready for your company to edit and adapt for your company’s often unique requirements.