Food Safety Audit Cost-Share Programs Offered
June 9, 2015 Purdue Extension and the Illiana Watermelon Association (IWA) are offering audit cost-sharing programs to Indiana fruit and vegetable growers who receive passing scores on their third-party food safety audits.
Many growers statewide are looking to go through a third-party audit in order to be good agricultural practices, also known as GAPs, certified, said Scott Monroe, Purdue Extension food safety educator.
“Although third-party food safety audits are not legally required, many buyers are requiring them as a condition for purchasing a company’s products,” Monroe said.
The Purdue program will reimburse 40% of the cost of a third-party audit up to a maximum reimbursement of $400 per farm.
The IWA program will reimburse 75% of the audit cost to a maximum reimbursement of $1,500 per farmer when IWA selects services of the third-party auditor. For farmers choosing services of any other third-party auditor, the program will reimburse 60% of the audit cost, with a maximum reimbursement of $1,200.
Both programs will offer a food safety consultant, contracted by Purdue, to conduct a pre-audit walk-through or address specific farm and packinghouse food safety questions.
The funds for the programs come from USDA’s Specialty Crops Block Grant Program.
To access the applications, visit http://tinyurl.com/pgfcobn. All necessary materials must be submitted by July 1.
Source: Purdue University news release