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QUALITY ASSURANCE AND TRACEABILITY

Towards one unique ICQM

standard in the arable crop and

horticulture sector

Marc ROSIERS

Towards a unique ICQM Standard in the arable crop and

horticulture sector

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Contents

Introduction Starting point Voluntary action Legal action

The ICQM Standard Aims Development Instruments State of the art and future Control and costs

VEGAPLAN.BE

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A few incidents and crises: Dioxin crisis (B), BSE (UK), foot and

mouth sore (UK, NL), sugar beet GMO (NL), beet pulp (B), …

A few points concerning: The consumers The purchasers Food policy: foundation of FASFC:

Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Starting point

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Consequences

Voluntary actions At first in individual sectors Later at the level of the production of

arable crops Legal actions

European and Belgian legislation concerning liability for defective products

European guideline and Belgian RD on auto-control

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Voluntary action (1)

CPPC = Concertation Platform door de

Processing of arable Crops Founded June 26th 2000 Reformed as non profit organization

on July 6th 2005 Members: Belgapom, Belgrain,

Bemefa, Cefi, KVBM, Nubelt, Subel, VBT, Vegebe

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Voluntary action (2)

CPPC Has members from companies which

trade and process raw materials from crops

With the goal to develop ‘one’ ICQM system (Integrated Chain Quality Management) for arable crops and horticulture through concertation: Within and between the chains With the public authorities

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Voluntary action (3)

ICQM: what’s in a name? Integrated = a link is established

between every partner of the chain Chain = all partners in the food chain Quality = product safety, product

quality, environment Management = planning, executing,

controlling and correcting

GOAL = optimising the chain

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Voluntary action (4)

One ICQM system ICQM applies to all links of the chain:

Agriculture companies (and their suppliers) Trade and transport Processors of basic raw materials

ICQM applies to all product flows: Primary product flow of agriculture to

processors of basic raw materials to food industry

Secondary product flow of food industry to agriculture: animal feed and soil

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Voluntary action (5)

In concertation with: AGROFRONT Is an actual association With branch associations for agriculture

and horticulture of Boerenbond (BB) Algemeen Boerensyndicaat (ABS) La Fédération Wallonne de

l’Agriculture (FWA)

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Voluntary action (6)

In concertation with: SUPPLIERS Products

Producers of seed, planting material en plantlets (Intersemza, Semzabel,…)

Producers of fytopharmaceuticals (Phytofar) Producers of fertilizers (Fedichem, Ferab, Vlaco,

…)

Services Transport = external services (Febetra, SAV) Subcontractors (Landbouwservice NCL,

VOLSOG) Distributors of seeds, fytopharmaceuticals and

fertilizers

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Voluntary action (7)

2005

2002 Start concertation:- distributors

2000-2001: Foundation CPPC:- Concertation within the

chain- Concertation with

Agrofront

2003

2004

2006

• Continuation concertation• Design ICQM Standaard and guide auto-control: PVF

Structural concertation between the different chains

and the public authorities

Start concertation:- Suppliers- Public authorities (FASFC, regions)

ICQM Standard in the arable crop and horticulture sector Validation Guide auto-controle by FASFC and acrreditation by BELAC

Continuation concertation

Guide auto-control in the arable crop and horticulture sector

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Legal actions (1)

European Regulation 178/2002 laying down the

general principles of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety

Regulation 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs

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Legal actions (2)

Belgian RD of 14.11.03 on auto-control,

notification duty and traceability All stages of production, processing and

distribution Primary production= the cultivation of

primary products and harvesting

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Legal actions (3)

Auto-control: internal self-control= the whole of measures taken by

proprietors to insure that their products in all steps of production, processing and distribution satisfy to:

Food safety Traceability Technical quality (within competence

of FASFC)

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Legal actions (4)

Auto-control in the primary production Annex I: hygiene prescriptions Annex II: Keeping up records

+ notification duty

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Legal actions (5)

Hygiene prescriptions: Protect products against pollution from

fertilizers, fytopharmaceuticals, biocides, water, soil,..

Accommodation, crates, vehicles that are used: keep clean

Use drinking water or clean water where necessary to prevent pollution

Store waste and dangerous materials so as to prevent pollution

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Legal actions (6)

Records = traceability Records IN & OUT: for all incoming and

outgoing products: Multiplication material of crops Fytopharmaceuticals and biocides Fertilizers

The use of fytopharmaceuticals and biocides (RD of 22/12/2005)

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Legal actions (7)

Notification duty: for each operator who judges or has grounds to believe that the product he imports, produces, trades, processes, … can be harmful for the health of men, animals or crops: Microbiological contaminants and toxins Residues of pesticides and nitrates Not accepted genetic engineered organisms Harmful organisms for crops (for which

notification to FASFC is obliged)

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Legal actions (8)

Notification duty: Obliged forms for notification The results of for public health relevant

analyses of plant samples or other samples

! All records must be kept for at least 5 years

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Legal actions (9)

Sector guides Concretises all legal prescriptions from

the RD for a specific sector or subsector Validation by the FASFC

Delegation External control on auto-control can be

executed by acknowledged and accredited certification institutions

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Contents

Introduction Starting point Voluntary action Legal action

The ICQM Standard Aims Development Instruments State of the art and future Control and costs

VEGAPLAN.BE

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ICQM Standard

= answer to all legal demands

Based on risk analysis (product file card) Describes hygienic measures applicable

for the primary production (RD Annex 1) Sector guide Auto-control:

requirements with respect to food safety and traceability under competence of FASFC

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ICQM Standard

Describes the keeping up of records for the primary production of crops (RD Annex 2) Traceability Record of parcel/culture in a file stab

Provides an external control: certification regulation On the fulfilment of the ICQM Standard

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Aims (1)

ObservationIn the link “arable crops and horticulture” a lot of systems exist (excessive growth on books of specifications)

Aim of CPPC– AGROFRONTOne unique system for the whole chain of production of arable crops and horticulture

Solution Development of the ICQM standard for PRODUCTION OF ARABLE CROPS AND HORTICULTURE as a unique system for all crops

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Aims (2)

Main goal Develop ONE HARMONIZED system

For all crops and activities Administratively simple, feasible and

affordable Second goal

Sector guide Auto-control for the production of arable crops and horticulture (answer to RD Auto-control, notification duty and traceability)

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Aims (3)

The ICQM Standard for arable crops and horticulture Describes all legal and supplementary

standards with respect to: Basic quality = food safety, technologic

quality and environment Traceability

The ICQM Standard for arable crops and horticulture encompasses the “minimal requirements for the farmer to obtain entry to the market”

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Development (1)

Starting point different existing books of

specifications Lastenboek consumptie-aardapplen Lastenboek industriegroenten Flandria Lastenboek MBT voor pitfruit en houtig

kleinfruit Charte PERFECT

were compared and harmonized 1 book of specifications

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Development (2)

Result: the comparative and harmonizing study results in two groups of requirements: Horizontal requirements: general

requirements for basic quality: applicable to all activities

Vertical requirements: specific requirements that differ between activities regarding:

Technique (e.g. intensive versus extensive culture)

The product (e.g. specific requirements for mycotoxins in grains)

The destination (e.g. fresh market versus industry)

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Development (3)

Result

Requirements

Eurep-GAP

General

Specific

Different cultures(vegetables, potatoes, fruit, grains, sugar beets, …)

ICQM Standard

Requirements > basic requirements within ICQM (e.g. Eurep-GAP, Flandria, …)

Not applicable

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Instruments (1)

+Guide Auto-control

Risk analysisProductfile stab

Code of Good Agricultural Practice

Book of specifications

Check- list

Registration documents

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Instruments (2)

Product file stab Risk analysis of the vegetable products: risk and

critical points in the primary production process basis of ICQM Standard

Specific for each culture Book of specifications

Contains all requirements for the product and the production process concerning basic quality and traceability

The book of specifications has been harmonized for the whole arable crop production and horticulture with a series of:

General requirements for application to ALL cultures

Specific requirements for particular cultures (when applicable)

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Instruments (3)

Check-list Distilled from the book of specifications: all

important requirements are resumed. The use of the check-list is consequently handy for internal or external control

Registration - documents File stabs on which all important culture

information is registered (fytopharmaceuticals, irrigation, date of planting or sowing, …) = passport of the product = instrument of registration and traceability

No obliged fixed format, aim is simplicity. Reference to existing documents is possible

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Instruments (4)

Annexes of the ICQM Standard Procedure notification duty Regulation for certification

Sector guide Auto-control The sector guide resumes all

requirements for which the FASFC is competent

The sector guides meets all requirements concerning RD Auto-control, notification duty and traceability

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ICQM versus Sector guide

ICQM Standard: Accreditation by BELAC

All requirements regarding food safety, traceability, technological quality and environment

Sector guide Auto-control: Validation by FASFC

Only requirements regarding food safety and traceability under competence of FASFC

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State of the art and future (1)

First phase The ICQM Standard for potatoes,

vegetables and fruit (fresh market and industry) = ICQM ‘PVF’

Realised: July 2004 Start: January 1st 2005

Sector Guide Auto-control for the production of arable crops and horticulture, version ‘PVF’

Realised: July 2004 Submitted to FASFC for validation

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State of the art and future (2)

First phase The ICQM Standard for

subcontractors of agricultural and horticultural works for potatoes, vegetables and fruit (fresh market and industry) = ICQM for subcontractors ’PVF’

Realised: end 2004 Start: March 15th 2005

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State of the art and future (3)

Second phase: Extension of the ICQM Standard and Sector guide to other arable crops: Grains, protein and oil containing raw

materials (FWA) Sugar beets (CBB) Chicory (CBB)

Sector Guide submitted to FASFC at the end of December 2005

ICQM Standard: mid 2006 accreditation by BELAC

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State of the art and future (4)

Second phase: extension of the ICQM Standard and sector guide auto-control to other crops and secondary transport to GMP certified companies Submission to FASFC – BELAC: mid 2006

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State of the art and future (5)

Exchangeability with other systems Study of exchangeability with other

systems applied in the Netherlands (voedselveiligheidscertificaat), France, Europe (Eurep-Gap, …)

Foreseen in 2006

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State of the art and future (6)

Agriculture (production of arable crops and horticulture) and

Subcontractors (of agricultural and horticultural works)

One ICQM Standard and enclosed Sector guide

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Control

FASFC

Companies without Sector guide

CompaniesWith ICQM/sector guide

Indvidual certification(Certification institution)

Group certification(Control Centre)

Levy

Auditcosts

IndividualInvestments

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Levy

Levy

Auditcosts

Individual investments

= Contribution for FASFC

3 yr 1 yr

Certification of the company 12575

Supplement per activity (4) 100

Right of use + certificate 24 8

Administrative cost 36 12

TOTAL 285 € 95 €

Individual investments 3 yr 1 yr

? ?

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Conclusion

ICQM Standard = A guarantee for basic quality

regarding food safety, technological quality and environment

a chain approach: All links are present: suppliers, primary production, trade and processors

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Conclusion

ICQM Standard = A horizontal approach

For all arable and horticultural crops A harmonised standard for the

whole production of arable crops and horticulture

Simple, feasible and affordable With the auto-control guide an answer

to the RD Auto-control, notification duty and traceability

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Contents

Introduction Starting point Voluntary action Legal action

The ICQM Standard Aims Development Instruments State of the art and future Control and costs

VEGAPLAN.BE

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What (1)

The non profit organization VEGAPLAN.BE was founded by CPCC-Agrofront and has as a task the administrative management of the ICQM STANDARD

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What (2)

Tasks

CPPC VEGAPLAN.BE CERTIFICATION

Concertation

Suppliers

Agriculture

Trade & Processors

Distribution

Management Control

Agriculture

Suppliers

Agriculture

Or FASFCOr OCI

Suppliers

Trade & Processors

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Tasks

VEGAPLAN.BE Manages the data base with

addresses and the status of the companies which are using the ICQM Standard

Informs the companies New versions of the ICQM Standard The exchangeability with other

(foreign) standards

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Tasks

VEGAPLAN.BE Recognizes and forms auditors:

uniform and harmonized audits Theoretical and practical trainings Exams

Coordinates The verification procedure: harmonization of

the sampling scheme that is organized per sector

The training of the companies: to establish a correct application of the ICQM Standards

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Members

For traders and processors: Belgapom: Belgian federation of potato trade

and industry Subel: Federation of Belgian sugar

manufacturers VBT: Association of Belgian horticultural

auctions Vegebe: Association for vegetable processing

and trade in industrial vegetables Bemefa:Professional association of the Belgian

compound feed manufacturers

Potential members = other links of the chain traders & processors (CPCC): e.g. Belgrain (grains), Cefi ...

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Members

For agriculture: ABS (Algemeen Boerensyndicaat) BB (Boerenbond) FWA (Fédération Wallonne de

l’Agriculture) CBB (Confederatie Belgische

Bietentelers) For suppliers:

Landbouw-Service (Nationale Centrale Landbouwservice)

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Financing

Financial supply by the founding members Yearly participation for the working expense

Farmers: Accession to VEGAPLAN: € 12 / year Right of use ICQM Standard: € 4/year For each certificate: € 4/year

Subcontractors Accession to VEGAPLAN: € 21 / year (€ 71 for non

members Landbouw-Service) Right of use: € 4/year For each certificate: € 25/year (€ 75 for non

members Landbouw-Service) Traders and processors:

Payment of yearly amount: € 50/year for members - € 150 for non members

Control institutions: Accession VEGAPLAN: € 750/ year + € 1 for each

farmer/subcontractor

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Transition period

VEGAPLAN TODAY = transition period ICQM Standard for arable crops and horticulture

version PVF and ICQM Standard for subcontractors

If a farmer/subcontractor wants an external control by a certification institution: register He is taken up in the data base of the extranet On that follows the control by the certification

institution Today Vegaplan.be works with 8 recognized

certification institution

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Tomorrow

Future = ICQM Standards for the production of arable crops and horticulture and enclosed sector guides: agriculture and subcontracting Extension of arable crops: sugar beets,

grains, oil and protein containing crops, chicory

Sector guide: approval by the FASFC at last end June 2006

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How to contact?

CPPC – Vegaplan.bePhD Ine VervaekeTervurenlaan 182, 1150 BRUSSELSBelgiumtel: +32 (0)2 775.80.47fax: +32 (0)2 775.80.75E-mail: Ine.vervaeke@vegaplan.be

www.vegaplan.be