Assessing government-owned standards
Technical Equivalence is a category of GFSI benchmarking process dedicated to government-owned standards. It acknowledges the equivalence of the standard’s content to the relevant scope(s) of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements Part III. Unlike GFSI recognition, Technical Equivalence does not include the assessment of the programme’s governance and operational management. You can acess GFSI’s position on GFSI Statement on Technical Equivalence
Following an extensive 2 year consultation on the future of Technical Equivalence (TE), in April 2023, the GFSI Steering Committee voted unanimously to phase out Technical Equivalence. GFSI is therefore no longer accepting new applications for TE. All currently acknowledged public standards will continue to be assessed in the usual way and fully engaged in the TE process until the end of the current life cycle. In the meantime GFSI is working with a number of public standards including those already acknowledged by GFSI through the TE process to explore the feasibility of public standards being fully recognised by GFSI.
Standard: BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety issue 9 with audit programmes: Announced, Blended Announced, Unannounced – voluntary, Unannounced – mandatory 1 in 3 years
Scopes:
BIII – Pre-process Handling of Plant Products
C0 – Animal Conversion
CI – Processing of Perishable Animal Products
CII – Processing of Perishable Plant Products
CIII – Processing of Perishable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
CIV – Processing of Ambient Stable Animal and Plant Products
D – Production of Feed
K – Production of (Bio) Chemicals (Additives, Vitamins, Minerals, Bio-Cultures, Flavourings, Enzymes and Processing Aids)
Standard: Global Standard for Packaging Materials issue 6 only with audit programme announced, unannounced, blended announced
Scope:
I – Production of Food Packaging
Standard: Global Standard for Agents & Brokers issue 3
Scope:
FII – Food Broker / Agent
Standard: Global Standard for Storage and Distribution issue 4 only with audit programme announced, unannounced (option 1 and 2), blended announced
Scope:
G – Provision of Storage and Distribution Services
Standard: CanadaGAP Program Management Manual version 10.0 2024 and CanadaGAP Food Safety Manuals v10.0
Scopes:
BI – Farming of plants (other than grains and pulses)
BIII Pre-Process Handling of Plant Products
Standard: Freshcare Food Safety & Quality Standard – Edition 4.2
Scopes:
BI – Farming of Plants (other than grains and pulses)
BIII Pre Processing Handling of Plant Products
Standard: Freshcare Supply Chain Edition 2
Scopes:
BIII Pre-process Handling of plant products
FI Retail / Wholesale
FII Food Broker / Agent
G Provision of Storage and Distribution Services
Standard: FSSC 22000 version 6
Scopes:
BIII – Pre-process Handling of plant products
CO – Animal Primary Conversion
CI – Processing of Perishable Animal Products
CII – Processing of Perishable Plant Products
CIII – Processing of Perishable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
CIV – Processing of Ambient Stable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
D – Production of Feed
G – Provision of Storage and Distribution Services
I – Production of Food Packaging
K – Production of (Bio) Chemicals and Bio-cultures Used as Food Ingredients or Processing Aids in Food Production
Standard: Global Red Meat Standard v 6.1
Scopes:
C0 – Animal Primary Conversion
CI – Processing of Perishable Animal Products
Standard: Harmonized Produce Safety Standard (HPSS) Version 1.2
Scopes:
BI – Farming of Plants (other than grains and pulses)
BIII – Pre-process Handling of Plant Products
Standard: Integrated Farm Assurance GFS Plants – Principles and Criteria for Fruit and Vegetables – version 6.0
Scopes:
BI – Farming of Plants (other than grains and pulses)
BIII – Pre-process Handling of Plant Products
Standard: Produce Handling Assurance (PHA) Standard Version 1.2
Scopes:
BI – Farming of Plants (other than grains and pulses)
BIII – Pre-process Handling of Plant Products
Standard: Global Retailer & Manufacturer Alliance, Inc. (GRMA) Certification Program Version 1.2. NSF/ANSI 455-2 for Dietary Supplements
Scope: K – Production of (Bio) Chemicals and Bio-Cultures Used as Food Ingredients or Processing Aids in Food Production
Standard: IFS Food v 8
Scopes:
BIII – Pre-process Handling of Plant Products
CO – Animal Primary Conversion
CI – Processing of Perishable Animal Products
CII – Processing of Perishable Plant Products
CIII – Processing of Perishable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
CIV – Processing of Ambient Stable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
K- Production of (Bio) Chemicals and Bio-Cultures Used as Food Ingredients or Processing Aids in Food Production
Standard: IFS Broker v 3.1
Scope:
FII – Food Broker / Agent
Standard: IFS Logistics v 2.3
Scope:
G Provision of Storage and Distribution Services
Standard: IFS PACsecure v 2
Scope:
I – Production of Food Packaging
Standard: JFS-C Standard Version 3.0
Scopes:
CI – Processing of Perishable Animal Products
CII – Processing of Perishable Plant Products
CIII – Processing of Perishable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
CIV – Processing of Ambient Stable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
Standards: ASIAGAP (Asia Good Agricultural Practice)/
• Control Points and Compliance Criteria for Fruits and Vegetables 2.3;
• Control Points and Compliance Criteria for Tea Ver.2.3
Scope: BI – Farming of Plants (other than grains and pulses)
Standards: ASIAGAP (Asia Good Agricultural Practice)/
• Control Points and Compliance Criteria for Grains Ver.2.3;
Scope: BII – Farming of Grains and Pulses
Standards: ASIAGAP (Asia Good Agricultural Practice)/
• Control Points and Compliance Criteria for Fruits and Vegetables 2.3;
• Control Points and Compliance Criteria for Grains Ver.2.3;
• Control Points and Compliance Criteria for Tea Ver.2.3
Scope: BIII – Pre-process handling of plant products
Standard: PrimusGFS version 3.2
Scopes:
BI – Farming of Plants
BII – Farming of Grains and Pulses
BIII – Pre-Process Handling of Plant Product
CII – Processing of Perishable Plant Products
CIII – Processing of Perishable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
CIV – Processing of Ambient Stable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
G – Provision of Storage and Distribution Services
Standard: SQF food safety codes edition 9 (level 2)
Scopes:
AI – Farming of Animals for Meat/ Milk / Eggs / Honey
BI – Farming of Plants (Other Than Grains and Pulses)
BIII – Pre-process Handling of Plant Products
CO – Animal Primary Conversion
CI – Processing of Perishable Animal Products
CII – Processing of perishable plant productsI Production of Food Packaging
CIII – Processing of Perishable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
CIV – Processing of Ambient Stable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
D – Production of Feed
G – Provision of Storage and Distribution Services
K – Production of (Bio) Chemicals and Bio-Cultures Used as Food Ingredients or Processing Aids in Food Production
Standard: Integrated Farm Assurance Aquaculture Standard version 5.3-GFS
Scope:
AII – Farming of Fish
Standard: PrimusGFS Standard Version 3
Scopes:
EIII – Processing of Animal and Plant Perishable Products (Mixed Products)
EIV – Processing of Ambient Stable Products