Standards & Feed Support Products

‘Moving along with our community’s needs’

Dik Wolters & Els van der Boon - Standards & Feed Support Products

The Standards & Feed Support Products team of GMP+ International is responsible for the standards of the certification scheme. Standards are updated on the basis of new insights about feed safety management, both from our community as well as from feed industry experts. The department is also in charge of developing and updating the Feed Support Products (FSP), which offer support to certified companies and auditors.

Preparing for launch – Finishing #ProjectGMP+2020

“The redesign of the GMP+ Feed Certification scheme was completed in 2020. The Standards & FSP department mainly focused on the conditions and requirements companies have to meet, as well as support products like guidelines and checklists. Not only were the normative standards revised, we also put much effort in improving certification rules, the auditor app and support products. By finalizing the changes to the scheme and additional services, we prepared it for launch come Spring 2021.”

Getting the checkmark – GMP+ FC scheme 2020 EA approved

“In 2020, the redesigned scheme, as well as the certification process by our Certification Bodies, was officially approved by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). This formal recognition means the scheme and the audit and certification methods used by our Certification Bodies are in compliance with international accepted standards (ISO 17021/ ISO TS22003) for certification of food and feed safety management system schemes.”

The EA was appointed by the European Commission in Regulation to facilitate fair trade, ensure product and service quality and reduce technical barriers to trade.

Sharing knowledge – HACCP E-learning

Besides just determining standards, GMP+ International has also put more effort on support by sharing knowledge. “We introduced an e-learning about Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). While the e-learning was developed and launched before the pandemic hit, it came in especially handy in a time of lockdowns and social distancing.” The e-learning is available in five different languages and has been enthousiastically received within our community.

Expanding choice – New purchase requirements

On March 1st, 2020, new GMP+ FSA purchase requirements were published. “The biggest change to the requirements was the expanded gatekeeper function. The new rules give companies more leeway in buying from companies not certified for GMP+ FSA. These changes were made in close collaboration with other European scheme holders in order to create a more level playing field. As a result of the change, GMP+ FSA certified companies benefit from more options to buy feed ingredients for non-certified suppliers.”

Listening to our community – Improving FSP

“In 2019, we conducted a survey about our Feed Support Products. Based on the input we received, we made several adjustments. By improving the navigation in the GMP+ Portal we made it easier for users to find their way to useful information. To provide clarity about updates to documents, each document now contains a clear download or a version date. We also updated the Product list to include references to the European Feed Catalogue to avoid confusion about the legal status of the included feed materials.” The survey also made clear that a large group is still unfamiliar with FSP. “That is why in 2020 we put a lot of effort in communication and promotion. FSP will also have a more prominent place in the redesigned scheme, with FSP references for every standard.”

Going digital – Webinars for our community

“The COVID-19 pandemic initially limited the ways in which we could interact with our community, but soon opened new doors. In 2020, we organized six webinars about the new purchase requirements. The online sessions were attended by both auditors as well as certified companies. Webinars allowed us to explain the changes in a way that is both accessible and interactive. The experience has been a rewarding one and we plan to continue organising webinars going forward.”