The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a business driven effort toward the improvement and measurement of food suppliers’ abilities to deliver safe food to consumers and customers.

While many companies produce and deliver safe food, only those who have passed an accredited GFSI third party audit can provide the their buyers the expected objective evidence of this ability.  Preparing for and gaining certification through a GFSI-accepted audit strengthens food safety systems and customer trust.  That strength leads to increased marketing abilities and future profitability.

While there are several types of audits recognized by GFSI, the most common in the United States are the Safe Quality Food (SQF), British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Food Safety System Certification (FSSC 22000) audits.

With most retail customers demanding certification, it is important your company obtain and maintain GFSI status to remain competitive in a global market. 

The HACCP Consulting Group has experience assisting companies achieve certification to these audits.  We use a practical approach and encourage development of simple, effective management systems.  We work with you to examine your strengths and weaknesses.  We assist where you need us most, building upon your programs and experience.  We can provide draft documents when needed but do not recommend ‘canned’ programs. It is best to develop your company within your culture to achieve a system you can manage and sustain.

At ARONA, we are often asked, “How long will this take and what does it cost?”  The fastest we have helped a company achieve certification was 3 months, but it can take over a year depending on the complexity of the company and the resources available.  We match our pace to meet your needs. There is no set price or standardized implementation plan. We invoice for our time and services ensuring we add value with each encounter. We don’t just build a system to pass an audit.  We strengthen your systems to ensure food safety, regulatory compliance and your ability to prove you do things right. Some of the tools we offer include:

  • Gap assessments
  • Documentation development
  • HACCP and GFSI  training for all levels of the organization
  • Internal Auditor training and assistance
  • Pre-audit practice assessments

While ARONA can provide assistance in several GFSI accepted schemes, please take a moment to read more about the Safe Quality Food (SQF) system on our website.  Because of the high demand in this area, ARONA is an SQF Licensed Training Center offering consulting and training services for beginning and advanced SQF systems.