This presentation I gave to the Aquaponics Association about how to build food safety standards in a new agriculture concept.

1. Food Safety Catch 22 in
Aquaponics
What comes first: the science or the
standards?

2. What comes first: the science or the
standards?
Safe food is expected by consumers. We will discuss in detail how
we show our product is safe and create standard all aquaponics
producers can do to minimize food borne illness.
• Food Safety – Duh . . .
• What is a verifiable food safety program
• How to create, edit Food Safety Standards
• It’s all about the science . . . test nutrients, pathogens,
allergens, etc
• Where are the resources and partners to help with studies

3. Who Is NCSI Americas
NCSI is a subsidiary of the Australian company, NCS International.
We have a specialist interest in:
• Food Certification (e.g. HACCP, WQA, SQF, BRC and other GFSI standards)
• Quality Assurance (e.g. ISO 9001, Disability Services, and Market & Social Research)
• Occupational Health and Safety (AS 4801, OHSAS 18001 & National Insurance)
• Environment and Sustainability Initiatives (ISO 14001, Forestry, ISO 14064 Green
House Gas & NGERs verification)
• Green Product Certification (e.g. Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA)
• Health Certification (e.g. ISO 9001 Core Standards for Safety & Quality in Healthcare
(replaced by the National Safety & Quality Health Service Standards from July 2011).
Engaged with Industry
• Construction, Manufacturing and trades, Utilities & Resources, Government, Health &
Services, Agriculture & Food

4. Major risks associated with food
borne illnesses in produce
4 W’s
• Water
• Workers
• Wildlife
• Manure/Compost (upside down W)
• Other things to think about as risks
• Adjacent lands (Waste Dump, Animal Operations, etc)
• Previous Land use

5. GAP & GMP – What?
Good Agricultural Practices ( GAPs)
• Anything that has to do with growing and field/ranch practices
• Ranch (Farm) Audit
• Greenhouse Audit
• Harvesting Crew Audit
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
• Post field harvest through retail distribution
• Cooler/Cold Storage Audit
• Packinghouse or Repacking Operations (Aggregators) Audit
• Processing Audits (with HACCP)
• Storage and Distribution Audits

6. Verifiable Food Safety Program
Food Safety/Compliance Manual (Risk Analysis)
+
Food Safety/Compliance Guidelines (Preventative & Corrective Measures)
+
Check List (Self Audit Benchmark)
=
Verifiable Food Safety Program
+
Third Party Audit
=
Third Party Verified Food Safety Program

7. Commodities?
• What commodities do you want within the program?
Compliance Expectations?
• What are the compliance criteria for your supplier
group(s)?
Produce Fish Etc.
Food Safety Welfare Q/A
Sustainable Social Etc.

8. GFSI
Global Food Safety Initiative
• Helps and encourages food safety stakeholders to share
knowledge and strategy for food safety and to develop best food
safety practice in a common global framework.
• Benchmarks existing food safety schemes against the GFSI
Guidance Document to determine whether a scheme is
equivalent to the GFSI requirements.

9.  An independent global parity-based Consumer Goods network
 Over 400 Members
 150 countries
 Over 5 continents
GFSI is managed by The Consumer
Goods Forum
Paris, HQ
Tokyo
Singapore
Shanghai
Washington D.C.

10. GFSI Vision
“Safe food for consumers everywhere”
GFSI Mission
“Provide continuous improvement in food safety management systems to
ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers worldwide”

11. GFSI Objectives 1 & 2
• Reduce food safety risks by delivering equivalence
and convergence between effective food safety
management systems
• Manage cost in the global food system by eliminating
redundancy and improving operational efficiency

12. GFSI Objectives 3 & 4
• Develop competencies and capacity building in
food safety to create consistent and effective global
food systems
• Provide a unique international stakeholder platform
for collaboration, knowledge exchange and
networking

13. WHO ACCEPTS GFSI

14. WHO ACCEPTS GFSI

15. WHO ACCEPTS GFSI

16. WHO ACCEPTS GFSI

17. Global Food Safety Initiative Audits . . .

18. USDA Organics?
• Real or Marketing Hype
Alternatives to Organic?
• Pesticide free program
• Sustainable Program Audit
• Create your own marketing standard

19. Pesticide Certified . . .

20. Sustainable Audits . . .

21. Create your own Certification/Standard. . .
OR . . .

22. A GREAT FACES TO A NEW MARKET

23. Create Aquaponic Standards
Do not reinvent wheels
• Pick and edit an approved audit that will be the closest fit
How to edit – Via Committee
• Review checklists
• What should be taken out – Why? (it is all about the science)
• What should be added – Why? (it is all about the science)
Work with audit scheme of choice to approve edits (GlobalGAP, etc)
• Get committee to approve

24. It’s all about the Science
Nutrients
• From fish – into fish
Allergens?
• Crawfish
• Prawns
Pathogens?
• Environmental
• Inputs
• Animal infestation

25. Potential Partnerships . . .
• Universities
• Research Labs
• Certified Bodies – Like NCSI
• Aquaponic Growers
• Community – Schools, Churches, Etc.
• Investors
• Etc.

26. FAQ
• What will the compliance world look like in 5 years?
• What is the audit for the industry?
• What is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) going to do to the
industry?
• What is going to happen in the Regulatory world?
• Is the government going to put third parties out of the job?
• “I’ve been doing the same thing for the last 40 years and 3 generations and
I ain’t got no one sick, why do I need to do this compliance B.S?”

27. Questions
Matt Regusci
NCSI Americas, Inc.
South West VP of Business Development, Sales, Marketing
O: 805.270.5270
C: 805.550.7117
F: 206.299.3085
E: matt.regusci@ncsiamericas.com
W: www.ncsiamericas.com
Twit: mattregusci
Link: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattregusci
Blog: http://www.ncsiamericas.com/about/news/