GAA Participates In GFSI Focus Day

Lisa Goché, VP of the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) division, participated in the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Focus Day conference in Mexico City on Sept. 9.

It was the first GFSI Focus Day to be held in Mexico. It was attended by more than 400 stakeholders from around the world, including producers, local and national retailers, government, NGOs and media. GFSI Focus Days are intended to raise awareness of the benefits of GFSI in regional markets.

In May 2013, the BAP seafood processing plant standards were successfully benchmarked against the GFSI food-safety requirements, aligning with GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition. The BAP seafood processing plant standards were originally benchmarked against GFSI Guidance Document Fifth Edition in June 2010.

The Focus Day included a range of in-depth presentations and discussions on improving food safety and sustainability across the supply chain. Goché (pictured at right) took part in the “Panel Discussion with GFSI Scheme Owners.” The discussion focused on a number of topics, including the value of third-party certification, the certification process, solutions for small-scale producers and auditor competency.

“The GFSI Focus Day provided a valuable opportunity to bring together a large group of stakeholders intent on one goal — working together toward the improvement of food safety and sustainability,” said Goché. “Collaboration between industry, government, NGOs, third-party certification standards and benchmarking organizations like the GFSI are essential elements in achieving continuous improvement across an increasingly complex supply chain.”

Image courtesy of GFSI.