An increasing number of farms are being asked by their wholesale produce customers to comply with a third-party audit.  What do you need to know if a buyer asks you to have a third-party audit?

Who would ask for a third-party audit? Current buyers of your product may notify you that you need a third-party audit in order for them to continue to purchase your product. Or a prospective buyer may tell you that in order to start purchasing your product you will need to pass a third-party audit.

What is a third-party audit? A third-party audit is an assessment of your production practices in compliance with a set of produce safety standards.  Requirements include educational training in produce safety, a written food safety plan (including written policies, standard operating procedures, documentation of activities, and records) specific to your operation that meet the standards of the audit your buyer requires. A third-party audit is conducted by an audit firm or outside agency.  The audit can take from several hours to several days based on your operation. The farm pays the audit fees and receives a certificate of compliance, the audit is required annually. Farms may have multiple buyers who require different audits, resulting in multiple audits annually.

Who conducts third-party audits? Auditing firms that buyers may rely on: USDA GAP, USDA Harmonized, Primus, Global GAP, BRC, SQF, etc. In New Jersey USDA audits are conducted by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Division of Marketing and Development.

What questions should you ask of the buyer?
– What audit firm are they requiring you to use?
– What commodities do they require the audit to cover?
– When do they require you to have the audit completed?
– What type of training is required of the farm and how often is required?

Third-party audits should not be confused with the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, a federal regulation that most growers of produce that is typically consumed raw must comply with.