The Freshcare Supply Chain Standard (SC1) has been approved as a base scheme under HARPS, enabling fresh produce supply chain businesses to now seek certification to the recently released standard.

This standard has been designed for businesses in the fresh produce supply chain, including standalone packing operations, storage and ripening facilities, and wholesale and brokerage operations.

The Freshcare Food Safety and Quality Standard (FSQ4) is still the appropriate standard for growers and grower-packers, and is also approved as a base scheme under HARPS.

Copies of the Freshcare Supply Chain Standard, updated Freshcare Rules (for businesses implementing SC1) and detailed information on SC1 roll-out and resources can be found on the Freshcare website.

As with the other Freshcare standards, all businesses participating in SC1 must have at least one representative complete approved Freshcare training to ensure a full understanding of the program requirements.

For SC1, the training will be delivered via the Freshcare eLearning platform.

To achieve certification, supply chain businesses must first undertake the Freshcare eLearning and then implement the system within their business operations. Once a business has the system fully implemented, they can schedule an audit with a Freshcare-approved third certification body, providing independent third-party verification of their compliance.

For more information, please contact Freshcare at elearning@freshcare.com.au.

HARPS is a retailer-led scheme designed to assist with compliance to food safety, legal and trade legislation for suppliers to the major grocery retailers in Australia, which resulted from a levy-funded project to harmonise food safety certification requirements for the major retailers in Australia.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 24 July 2018. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!

The HARPS project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using across-industry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.