User Guide to the food safety certificate for the potato
Contents
1. Date of notification to buyer incl faxes or e mails For the attention of P Date of notification to PDV incl faxes or e mails For the attention of Reporting Centre Mr Ms VAVI Page 33 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Date of notification to GMP incl faxes or e mails For the attention of Reporting Centre Mr Ms If applicable date of notification to VWA incl faxes or e mails For the attention of Mr Ms to be completed by buyer inspection authority IA if sold as animal feed report to PDV reporting centre fax 31 0 70 3708290 or via www pdv nl notification centre 31 0 70 3708215 VAVI Page 34 of 35 01 03 20142. Version 12 Accidents mishaps or recall Contract work 12 Mandatory registration send registration and notify the buyer in the event of fire accidents or detection of the possible presence of glass oil crop protection agents quarantined crops other harmful foreign bodies and or GMC including what corrective measure s have been taken Immediate supply of information about batch to buyer following receipt of a request to this effect Moreover in the event of detecting harmful or unfit products the accident mishap should be reported to the VWA Please see the VWA reporting indicator at www vwa nl Growers are responsible for this On the basis of your administration you should be able after verbal contact to give information within 4 hours on the origin of a batch or part of a batch supplied and on any other parts of the original batch to whom supplied date quantity If a batch is sold as animal feed the accident mishap must also be reported to the Product Board Animal Feed PDV Foreign growers should report any accidents mishaps to the local competent authorities 13 If work is outsourced to contractors or subcontractors grower must have a copy of this they must hold a certificate VKL VBL or be in possession of a food safety certificate for potatoes VVA or GLOBALGAP or have been audited by an inspection authority as part of the VVA audit See also the example of the form for notifying
3. Version 12 References 1 Websites MRVs NL http www rikilt wageningen ur nl vws index html EU MRVs www europa eu int comm food fs ph_ps pest index_en htm 2 Crop protection agents database see http www ctb wageningen nl BI Fytorom Nefyto The Hague www fytorom nl 4 Information about crop protection www bib wau nl gbk www ctb wageningen nl www milieumeetlat nl www fytoweb fgov be www bba de http e phy agriculture qouv fr Abbreviations VVA Certificate VAVI GMC HACCP MRV EU CTB GC MS LC MS MS LOD EC NL Codex alimentarius GMP Food Safety Certificate for the Potato Processing Industry Dutch Potato Processing Association DPPA genetically modified crop Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Maximum Residue Value European Union College voor de Toelating van de Bestrijdingsmiddelen Crop Protection Agents Board gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry limit of detection European Commission the Netherlands Joint FAO WHO food programme hygiene Good Manufacturing Managing Practice VAVI Page 24 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 ANNEX A Criteria governing inspection authorities An inspection authority must satisfy the following criteria EN ISO IEC 17021 2011 for certification authorities Inspection audit NL NEN EN ISO IEC 17020 2004 Euro
4. Terms used The following terms are applied in this User Guide User Guide this User Guide explains what the Food safety certificate for the potato processing industry the VVA Certificate is how to qualify for it how it is tested by whom and in what way It also outlines how reports are submitted to specific links in the chain for example to assist traceability The User Guide is intended for IAs and buyers Grower Handbook based on the Food safety certificate for the potato processing industry Handbook and written for potato growers inspection authorities and buyers It describes what the Food safety certificate for the potato processing industry the VVA Certificate is how to qualify for it how it is tested by whom and in what way Food safety certificate for the potato processing industry also referred to as the VVA Certificate This is a certificate awarded to a potato grower if his firm complies with the measures listed under the evaluation criteria These measures which are based on the risk analysis of a potato cultivation firm with storage facilities can minimise or better still eliminate the food safety risks that can arise during potato cultivation harvesting transport and storage An accredited independent IAs will audit the potato cultivation firm and the potato grower in respect of these measures conduct an administrative audit on the potato harvest registration forms and take specific or random samples
5. analysis figures 21 Use only soil improvers with a product certificate or analysis report which shows that the product complies with the Fertilisers Act and is almost totally free of contamination by glass Green and biodegradable waste compost has to be certified in accordance with Keurcompost Certified Compost the quality mark pertaining to the sector unless the above analytical covers up to 1 000 tonnes of fresh compost and compliance with the glass standard Acceptable glass content no more than 0 2 m m on dry material with a minimum particle size of 2 mm 0 O O VAVI Page 28 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 and a maximum particle size of 20 mm 22 Do not use sewage sludge for organic fertiliser O O O 23 Store fertilisers in accordance with national and local legislation o O o 24 Store fertilisers away from crop protection agents O O 0 25 Use only legally approved fertilisers O O O 26 Use correctly adjusted clean and properly functioning spreader o O 0 Calibration audit of function settings and distribution must be carried out annually with the date of the audit recorded calibration can be performed by the grower himself or by an external contractor Date 27 Keep up to date records of fertilisers used 1 x per week 0 0 0 Crop protection 28 The technical supervisor grower and or cultivation super
6. to be tested for the presence or absence of crop protection agent residues Once all the conditions have been met the potato grower will be awarded a VVA Certificate Potato grower the primary producer of the potato Potato cultivation firm the company where the potatoes are grown This is usually an arable farm The term also covers the potato cultivation activities carried out by third parties such as agricultural contractors for the potato grower in the form of harvesting transport and storage and for which the potato grower is responsible Parcel a a piece of arable land with one and the same history intended for the cultivation of potatoes of the same variety and subject to the same crop treatment b a more detailed specification of a including a more specific description e g in the form of a parcel code compiled in consultation with the buyer Buyer a firm that purchases the potatoes from the potato grower before a using them itself as an input for the production of potato products or b selling them on to VAVI members This buyer is a member of the Dutch Potato Processing Association VAVI IA an independent authority recognised by VAVI with proven expertise in inspecting and auditing potato growers and potato cultivation firms The authority employs experts who specialise in the independent inspection or auditing of guidelines checklists pertaining to arable firms on the basis of which VVA Certificates are aw
7. Feed PDV Foreign growers should report any accidents mishaps to the local competent authorities 13 If work is outsourced to contractors or subcontractors grower must have a copy of this they must hold a certificate VKL VBL or bein possession of a food safety certificate for potatoes VVA or EUREPGAP or have been audited by an inspection authority as part of the VVA audit 3 3 2 Cultivation Contaminated parcel sewage sludge glass plastic oil heavy metals mixing crop protection agents GMCs quarantined crops etc Parcel Introduction of quarantined crops GMCs Inputs 14 Cultivation is only permitted on parcels that have not been contaminated by unauthorised substances in the past 3 years e g polluted silt glass oil dioxins heavy metals or from when the cultivated earth has been chemically polluted by past cultivation or activities e g fruit tree cultivation dumping industrial site Mandatory removal of contamination glass shards plastic etc especially along public roads If in doubt analyse the soil 15 Thorn apple Datura stramontium must be removed from the parcel by hand No cultivation permitted within a range of at least 10 metres from GMC potato trial fields No cultivation permitted on parcels where GMC potatoes have been grown in the last 4 years Only use officially approved propagating material An official inspection certificate
8. User Guide to the food safety certificate for the potato processing industry VVA Certificate 2014 2015 cultivation and storage season User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Table of contents page 1 General remarks 3 1 1 Terms used 3 1 2 Introduction 4 2 Registration and deregistration procedure 5 3 Evaluation criteria 6 3 1 Introduction 6 3 2 GMC measures 6 3 3 Checklist of evaluation criteria 7 3 3 1 General 7 3 3 2 Cultivation 9 3 3 3 Harvesting and or warehousing in own storage facilities 12 3 3 4 Storage and warehousing in own storage facilities 13 3 3 5 Ex warehousing and or delivery 14 4 Audit system 15 4 1 Introduction 15 4 2 Audit during the potato cultivation phase and storage season 15 4 3 Specific checks during the potato cultivation phase and storage season 16 4 4 Potatoes supplied ex land 16 5 Residue analysis 16 5 1 Introduction 16 5 2 Conditions governing the residue analysis 17 5 3 Frequency of sampling 18 6 Issuing the VVA Certificate 19 re Objections 20 7 1 Procedure for registering objections 20 7 2 Joint industrial committee 20 8 Summary 21 Table showing audit system and audit frequency 22 ANNEXES A Criteria governing inspection authorities B Information and data for the buyer C Self assessment checklist for potato growers D Notification of accidents or mishaps VAVI Page 2 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 1 General remarks 1 1
9. VI Page 20 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 7 Objections 7 1 Procedure for registering objections A potato grower who is given a negative assessment by the VVA Certificate audit can register a formal objection Once the potato grower has been notified in writing by the inspection authority that he will not be issued with a VVA Certificate with accompanying reasons he can lodge an objection in writing with this inspection authority This must be done within 2 weeks The objection must clearly set out why the refusal of a VVA Certificate is unjustified and accompanying proof must be enclosed These documents will if possible be considered within 4 weeks by the inspection authority Whether or not an objection is dealt with within 4 weeks will depend on the issue involved If there has been a clear administrative error by the potato grower which can be demonstrated by providing sufficient documentary evidence then the inspection authority can reply within 4 weeks If the objection and the documentary proof are not conclusive the objection will not immediately be upheld The potato grower will be notified in writing that his objection cannot be handled in a straightforward manner and that it will be dealt with by the joint industrial committee 7 2 Joint industrial committee Objections that cannot be dealt with in a straightforward manner by the inspection authority will be collected together b
10. a sound and hygiene product intended for human consumption obtained by Good Agricultural Practices And moreover that these are traceable in the chain from potato grower to buyer As well as supplying the potato processing industry potato growers can also supply potatoes and potato by products to buyers with a GMP animal feed certificate The package of requirements is based on a generic HACCP analysis of potato cultivation harvesting transport and storage in which each step of the potato cultivation harvesting transport and storage process is revealed The inventory arising from this analysis means that at all stages of the potato cultivation harvesting transport and storage process a study has been carried out to see where possible risks could lie with regard to food safety The risks regarded as the most significant are highlighted and an indication is given as to what measures should be taken to reduce these potential risks to an acceptable level or better still to eliminate them altogether see chapter 3 The independent audit see Annex A is carried out by the VAVI accredited IAs see www vavi nl and is designed to check that during the potato cultivation harvesting transport and storage process the necessary preventive control measures have been adequately applied and that accurate records of crop protection agents fertilisers and sprout inhibitors have been kept In order to support these control measures specific or r
11. accidents or mishaps annex B CULTIVATION O 0 Key point to consider Measure to be taken by grower Applied Yes No N A Parcel Inputs Fertilisation 14 Cultivation is only permitted on uncontaminated parcels which have not been contaminated in the past 3 years by the application of unauthorised substances e g polluted silt glass oil dioxins heavy metals or from when the cultivated earth has been chemically polluted by past cultivation or activities e g fruit tree cultivation dumpin industrial site Mandatory removal of contamination glass shards plastic etc especially along public roads If in doubt analyse the soil 15 Thorn apple Datura stramontium must be removed from the parcel by hand 16 No cultivation permitted within a range of at least 10 metres from GMC potato trial fields 17 No cultivation permitted on parcels where GMC potatoes have been grown in the last 4 years 18 Only use officially approved propagating material An official inspection certificate has to be available for each batch and an invoice or delivery note showing the scope and identity This does not apply if the buyer ensures there is approved base material When own propagation is carried out a proof of approval has to be available in accordance with national legislation 19 Cultivation of GMC varieties is not permitted 20 Follow fertilisation recommendations preferably using
12. achinery during cultivation harvesting transport storage and delivery This machinery should not show any leaks and or loose glass elements If there is direct contact between machinery oil and the product then use food grade oil 3 The use of machinery which in the growing season has been in contact with GMC potatoes during harvesting transport storage and delivery is not permitted 4 Clear registration of the identity of the parcel register the location of the parcel Clearly indicate which parcels qualify for a VVA Certificate 5 Register the identity of parcels batches during storage label floor plan of the storage space code 6 All the registrations of cultivation and storage audit reports and certificates required for the audit of the VVA Certificate must be kept for at least 3 years 7 Do not add batches that do not meet VVA Certificate criteria keep these separate 8 Grower is responsible for and must oversee the loading of the correct batch 9 If a parcel batch is switched remove all the tubers from the warehousing ex warehousing equipment conveyor belts etc 10 Registration of batches supplied date buyer 11 Keep purchase receipts and or invoices for seed potatoes crop protection agents fertilisers and biocides 0 O OO O O 0 O OO O O O VAVI Page 27 of 35 01 03 2014 O O OO O O O User Guide to the VVA Certificate
13. andom samples of the potato crop itself or tubers can be taken to be analysed for the possible presence of residues of crop protection agents see chapter 5 The VVA Certificate is the proof that all the requirements set out in this User Guide to the VVA Certificate have been adequately met see chapter 6 The VVA Certificate is also included as a module in the VVAK Certificate VVAK crop farming food and feed safety Sustainability You as a grower now also can participate in the voluntary sustainability module VVAK in the context of the VVA certificate The Agriculture certification of the productship agriculture has developed the VVAK module Duurzaam Akkerbouw Bedrijf DAB It is proposed to Min EZ and with this plan agriculture durably complies with sustainable cultivation Agricultural enterprises can obtain the sustainability certificate if an independent certifying authority establishes that the enterprise meets all the criteria Each agricultural enterprise in the Netherlands can participate The sustainability plan enables agriculture and processing and sales channels to concretise and demonstrate sustainability The instruction includes requirements re biomass for energy purposes directive for Renewable Energy RED as well as for employment flora and fauna soil management local economy energy VAVI Page 4 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 crop protection agents water e
14. arded The latest version of the accredited inspection authorities can be found at www vavi nl VAVI Page 3 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Evaluation criteria The risks identified in the generic HACCP analysis and their accompanying control measures which are assessed using a checklist applied to the potato cultivation firm and based on the demonstrability and implementation of the measures concerned GMC a genetically modified crop which in this context is specifically taken to mean the GMC Solanaceae or potato family GMP regulations these regulations implemented by the Product Board Animal Feed enable companies demonstrably to guarantee that animal feed complies with the statutory regulations and the discretionary requirements agreed upon with chain parties 1 2 Introduction The Food safety certificate for the potato processing industry VVA Certificate is a programme that has been developed by the Dutch Potato Processing Association VAVI and is presented in this User Guide to the VVA Certificate To qualify for the VVA Certificate a grower must begin by applying to a VAVI accredited inspection authority see chapter 2 The basic premise on which the VVA Certificate is based is that the cultivation of potatoes by the potato grower as an input for the processing industry takes place under conditions guaranteeing an optimum quality of food safety The VWA Certificate lead to
15. ason it appears that the measure concerned has not been fully implemented then the VVA Certificate is immediately withdrawn during that season 4 4 Potatoes supplied ex land The same system shall apply to potatoes supplied ex land as to potatoes supplied from storage 5 Residue analysis 5 1 Introduction The purpose of the residue analysis is to meet the specifications of the residue check for crop protection agents in the context of the VVA Certificate The residue check for pesticides and or crop protection agents is an important section within the aforementioned evaluation criteria in the VVA Certificate programme as a way of upholding the statutory requirements and the specifications laid down in the interests of food safety The residue monitoring programme should be seen as an integral part of a total monitoring programme in which physical and administrative audits are supported by a residue monitoring audit In addition to sampling and checking the end product at the moment of supply a check is also carried out on the registration of the crop protection agents fertilisers and sprout inhibitors used by the potato grower by means of a residue check of the crop leaf This is additional to the physical company audit by the inspection authority It also serves to check on substances which while they may not leave a residue in the end product are nevertheless prohibited in cultivation or are unregistered The residue check is cr
16. by the inspection authority and including where applicable the buyer Before the first delivery of parcels registered for the first time and for ex land potatoes e Physical company audit maintenance of machinery above ground tubers traceability etc and administrative audit maintain accurate records safety periods statutorily approved substances dosages etc e Sampling for residue analysis use of unauthorised substances Where necessary or if provided for e Physical company audit of potatoes for winter storage if not performed during cultivation phase e Targeted physical company audit among 10 of the registered growers e Sampling for residue analysis infringement of MRVs and or use of unauthorised substances among 12 of the registered growers Before the first delivery of registered parcels batches e Physical company audit audit of storage area traceability etc and final administrative audit maintain accurate records safety periods statutorily approved substances etc Where necessary or if provided for e Targeted physical company audit among 10 of the registered growers e Sampling for residue analysis infringement of MRVs and or use of unauthorised substances Before the delivery of registered parcels batches e Issue of VVA Certificate e Evaluation of residue monitoring package with VAVI members VAVI Page 23 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate
17. e product Thermometer in product Direct daylight Cooling equipment Mycotoxins due to mould growth legionella Fuel vapours or oil residues in product Glass splinters shards in product Mercury and glass in product Green tubers Coolant in product due to leak 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 Try to maintain optimum climate control maintain correct water temperature in air humidifiers Only use correctly adjusted properly installed and well maintained heating equipment do not place on or over product Only use fuels that are suitable for drying heating products Ensure presence of a protective plate shatterproof lamps or a protective sheath where potatoes are being processed or stored Use of mercury and or glass thermometer in or above the potatoes is prohibited No direct daylight in storage facilities above product Well maintained cooling equipment only with cover plate over product STEK test certificate 3 3 5 Ex warehousing and or delivery Key point to Risk Measure to be taken by grower requirement consider Foreign bodies Safety period Contamination by foreign bodies stones glass crop protection agents waste etc and green tubers Overdose of chemical crop protection agents 58 59 Deploy sufficient capacity to weed out foreign substances green tubers during delivery Strictly comply with
18. e grown as inputs for the processing industry under conditions that guarantee an optimum quality of food safety and how the crop can be traced throughout the chain from potato grower to buyer Potato growers can also supply potatoes and potato by products to buyers with a GMP animal feed certificate A generic HACCP analysis of potato cultivation harvesting transport and storage is carried out in such a way that each stage in the potato cultivation harvesting transport and storage process is revealed The survey investigates where there may be potential risks relating to food safety The most significant risks are indicated These risks are cited in the evaluation criteria and the evaluation also states what measures must be taken to reduce the potential risk to an acceptable level or better still to eliminate it The independent audit by a VAVI accredited inspection authority is designed to ensure that the necessary preventive control measures have been adequately applied during the potato cultivation harvesting transport and storage process and that accurate records have been kept of crop protection agents fertilisers and sprout inhibitors used To enable these control measures to be supported random or specific samples of crops or tubers are taken to be analysed for the possible presence of residues of crop protection agents The designated inspection authority issues the VVA Certificate to the potato grower when registered potato pa
19. e inspection authorities carry out during the physical and administrative audits of the participating companies based on practical experience are enough to prevent misuse and to persuade these companies that the risk of being caught by the proposed sampling frequency are sufficiently high Based on this a targeted sampling frequency of roughly 12 of the participating potato growers is regarded as acceptable The sampling frequency applies to all leaf and product samples The inspection authority is responsible for ensuring a balanced distribution of samples from the various analysis packages The distribution of crop leaf and product tuber samples is shown in the table below Table Spread of sampling frequency Type of residue Crop Product analysis Percentage of 2 10 growers sampled Based on new information analysis results indications from the field food alerts etc or specific wishes on the part of the buyers of these potatoes the sampling frequency can be increased and the package of substances being checked can be expanded These adjustments can be made on an interim basis based on signals from the market and on the strength of the annual evaluation If the residue samples exceed the MRVs VAVI will ask the inspection authorities to carry out a more intensive residue monitoring evaluation focusing mainly on the residues of the substances detected This supervision of the monitoring evaluation will be cont
20. e size of 20 mm Do not use sewage sludge for organic fertiliser Store fertilisers in accordance with national and local legislation Store fertilisers away from crop protection agents Use only legally approved fertilisers Use correctly adjusted clean and properly functioning spreader Calibration audit of function settings and distribution must be carried out annually with the date of the audit recorded on the self assessment checklist annex C calibration can be performed by the grower himself or by an external contractor Keep up to date records of fertilisers used 1 x per week The technical supervisor grower and or cultivation supervisors for crop protection and fertilisation must be able to demonstrate his competence e g by a sprayer licence and to substantiate the use of crop protection agents e g by a sprayer licence A sprayer licence for the Netherlands is mandatory Where it is not mandatory the technical supervisor must show evidence of the necessary experience Store crop protection agents in accordance with national and local legislation Use a correctly adjusted clean properly functioning and approved sprayer Follow the statutory inspection intervals test certificate present In countries without mandatory inspection annual calibration must be carried out date recorded on self assessment checklist annex C Maximum dosage and the number of applications in line with user instruct
21. easures stipulated in these evaluation criteria have been sufficiently met Broadly speaking the audit system involves the following 4 2 Audit during the potato cultivation phase and storage season In order to be able to supply VVA accredited potatoes the potato grower s firm will be physically inspected 1 1 times per year on average and an administrative audit will be carried out at the same time The physical inspection can take place at any time during the year provided there are potatoes present either in the field or in storage For growers who are registering for the first time or who have previously failed to reach the required standard the physical inspection will take place before the supply of the first batch This physical company visit can take place as from 6 months prior to the expiry of the certificate until which would be conditional 3 months afterwards The audit procedure is as follows Growers who are registering for the first time or who have previously failed to reach the required standard are afforded the status registered Following the first physical inspection of their premises before the supply of the first batch during which an administrative audit is also carried out this status may be further upgraded for each company provided all the evaluation criteria have been met to definitive approval The status of definitive approval will remain until the next physical or administrative audit Uns
22. ents Contamination by foreign bodies wood glass oil grease rubber crop protection agents GMCs etc Mixing or switching crops 1 10 11 Complete the self assessment checklist annually prior to company audit date and signature Use properly maintained and clean machinery during cultivation harvesting transport storage and delivery This machinery should not show any leaks and or loose glass elements If there is direct contact between machinery oil and the product then use food grade oil The use of machinery which in the growing season has been in contact with GMC potatoes during harvesting transport storage and delivery is not permitted Clear registration of the identity of the parcel register the location of the parcel Clearly indicate which parcels qualify for a VVA Certificate Register the identity of parcels batches during storage label floor plan of the storage space code All the registrations of cultivation and storage audit reports and certificates for the audit of the VVA Certificate must be kept for at least 3 years Do not add parts of batches that do not meet VVA Certificate criteria keep these separate Grower is responsible for and must oversee the loading of the correct parcel batch If a parcel batch is switched remove all the tubers from the warehousing ex warehousing equipment conveyor belts etc Registration of batches suppl
23. eport VAVI Page 29 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 HARVESTING AND OR WAREHOUSING IN OWN STORAGE FACILITIES Applied Key point to Measure to be taken by grower Yes No N A consider Harvesting 37 Mandatory sailcloth over trailer and warehousing equipment if rain is O O O warehousing expected machinery and 38 No foreign bodies in means of transport use clean trailers boxes O O O transport from etc parcel 39 No broken transport storage facilities boxes etc O O O VAVI Page 30 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 WAREHOUSING AND STORAGE IN OWN STORAGE FACILITIES Key point to consider Measure to be taken by grower Applied Yes No N A Storage Vermin Sprout inhibitors Climate control Heating equipment Lamps above product Thermometer in product Direct daylight Cooling equipment 40 Storage only in clean storage facilities year round clean storage facilities free of contamination 41 Storage facilities must be in a good state of repair no broken planks insulation material etc 42 Storage facilities must be clearly separated from machinery storage workplace unless soiling of walls and floor is prevented e g covering with plastic or tarpaulin for adjuvant intact packaging is also sufficient 43 Pets and other animals may not come into contact with
24. ered crop protection agents used in the cultivation of potatoes for consumption see also chapter 5 VAVI Page 16 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 4 3 Specific checks during the potato cultivation phase and storage season All potato growers are subjected to at least one physical company audit After the first physical company audit the grower may be given the opportunity to fully implement a measure that he has not previously fully implemented This is then regarded as a non fully implemented measure that does not pose a risk to food safety in the long term and is therefore referred to as a non critical deficiency During the cultivation phase and the storage season 10 of the participating potato growers can expect a second physical company audit surprise effect These are usually specific unannounced audits re evaluations targeted mainly at potato growers for whom a non critical deficiency was detected during a first physical company audit This is therefore an extra audit re evaluation of aspects for which it was agreed with the potato grower that they would be rectified in the near future and which do not pose a direct risk to food safety If a grower who has been designated for a second physical company audit during the growing storage season concerned is not given a second physical company audit his previous status shall remain unchanged If during the following growing storage se
25. esting warehousing 2 storage 3 ex warehousing supply 4 At each individual stage of the process an inventory is drawn up to identify which aspects could pose a risk to food safety The inspection authority then indicates for each stage of the process what preventive measures should be taken from cultivation up to and including delivery to minimise and reduce to an acceptable level the chances of an accident or mishap that could pose a risk to food safety The preventive measure to be applied by the potato grower is formulated in such a way that it also functions as a checkable norm for an independent inspection authority and as a self assessment checklist for the potato grower see annex C This checklist must be completed by the potato grower before the first physical audit of the grower s premises is carried out An example is also given of how to report any accidents or mishaps see annex D The grower is not obliged to use the form illustrated he can also register by alternative means 3 2 GMC measures The production of GMC potatoes for consumption is prohibited by law In Western Europe licences are only granted for field trials involving the limited cultivation of genetically modified crops on trial fields In the evaluation criteria listed below the following control measures have been adopted based on a risk analysis carried out during the cultivation and storage phase to prevent the risk of contamination via cross c
26. has to be available for each batch and an invoice or delivery note showing the scope and identity This does not apply if the buyer VAVI Page 9 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Fertilisation Crop protection incl seed potato treatment Overdose due to excessive nitrate content crop protection agents PCBs heavy metals etc Overdose evidence of poisoning and presence of unauthorised chemical residues 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 ensures there is approved base material When own propagation is carried out a proof of approval has to be available in accordance with national legislation Cultivation of GMC varieties is not permitted Follow fertilisation recommendations to avoid pollution preferably using analysis figures Use only soil improvers with a product certificate or analysis report which shows that the product complies with the Fertilisers Act and is almost totally free of contamination by glass Green and biodegradable waste compost has to be certified in accordance with Keurcompost Certified Compost unless the above analytical covers up to 1 000 tonnes of fresh compost and compliance with the glass standard the quality mark pertaining to the sector Acceptable glass content no more than 0 2 m m on dry material with a minimum particle size of 2mm anda maximum particl
27. ied date buyer Keeping purchase records and or invoices for seed potatoes crop protection agents fertilisers and biocides VAVI Page 8 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Key point to Risk Measure to be taken by grower requirement consider Accidents Foreign bodies incl 12 Mandatory registration send registration and mishaps or recall quarantined crops GMC and green tubers Contract work Contamination by foreign bodies oil fat chemicals etc notify the buyer in the event of fire accidents or detection of the possible presence of glass oil crop protection agents quarantined crops other harmful foreign bodies and or GMC including registration of what corrective measure s have been taken Immediate supply of information about the batch to the buyer following a request to that effect Moreover in the event of detecting harmful or unfit products the accident mishap should be reported to the VWA Please see the VWA reporting indicator at www vwa nl Growers are responsible for this On the basis of your administration you should be able after verbal contact to give information within 4 hours on the origin of a batch or part of a batch supplied and on any other parts of the original batch to whom supplied date quantity If a batch is sold as animal feed the accident mishap must also be reported to the Product Board Animal
28. inued until it is known what is causing these excessive amounts VAVI Page 19 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 6 Issuing the VVA Certificate The designated inspection authority issues the VVA Certificate to the potato grower when it has been formally authorised to implement of the evaluation criteria with the accompanying measures in its business operations following the physical company audit and the final administrative audit of the registered potato parcels The VVA Certificate consists of the following data VVA Certificate Food safety certificate for the potato processing industry Year and date of certification Period of validity expiry date of the certificate Certificate number Registration number of the inspection authority Place of signature by inspection authority Signature inspection authority eoeeeeeeeee a n Cc oO jor gt 9 o 3 oO O a ne ied O Q ay O OD If the entire company cannot be certified certificates at parcel or variety level may be issued These consist of the following data VVA Certificate at parcel or variety level Year of certification Date of issue Period of validity expiry date of the certificate Name potato grower Address Postal code Town Certificate number Variety Surface area Number of parcels Description of parcel or code issued by buyers VA
29. ions VAVI Page 10 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Hunting Shot or shotgun pellets in product Water Contamination of product by consumption polluted water bacteriological chemical 32 33 34 35 36 must not be exceeded Only use statutorily approved agents When using crop protectors that still are in the testing phase the approval of the customer is required for their use Comply with safety periods Keep up to date records of crop protection agents used including notifying harvesting date in connection with waiting times plus reason for application name of applier and type of treatment 1 x per week Hunting prohibited if there is a risk of shot entering product Only use good quality rainwater sprayer water If in doubt consult analysis report Annex D can be used to report accidents or mishaps VAVI Page 11 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 3 3 3 Harvesting and or warehousing in own storage facilities Key point to Risk Measure to be taken by grower requirement consider Harvesting Contamination by foreign 37 Mandatory sailcloth over trailer and warehousing bodies wood glass oil warehousing equipment if rain is expected machinery and crop protection agents 38 No foreign bodies in means of transport use transport from parcel GMCs etc clean trai
30. lers boxes etc 39 No broken transport storage facilities boxes etc VAVI Page 12 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 3 3 4 Storage and warehousing in own storage facilities Key point to consider Risk Measure to be taken by grower requirement Storage facilities Vermin Sprout inhibitors Contamination by foreign bodies wood glass oil crop protection agents iron splinters faeces GMCs etc Transfer of pathogens via faeces Excess residues of chemical substances 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Storage only in clean storage facilities year round clean storage facilities free of contamination Storage facilities must be in a good state of repair no broken planks insulation material etc Storage facilities must be clearly separated from machinery storage workplace unless soiling of walls and floor is prevented e g covering with plastic or tarpaulin for adjuvant intact packaging is also sufficient Pets and other animals may not come into contact with settle on the product in the storage facilities Prevent the faeces of pets and other animals and birds from coming into contact with product e g by applying mesh or netting to intake and outlet flaps No storage in storage facilities boxes where GMC potatoes have been stored during the same growing season Never store crop p
31. llowing a animal feed inputs sweep out b soil stones clean with water high pressure c artificial fertiliser clean with water d packaged products sweep out e dry stackable poultry and horse manure clean and disinfect f wet fertiliser clean disinfect and release after external checks carried out by an ISO 17020 certified inspection authority 61 In the event of transport by third parties at grower s request O O O Transporter must hold a GMP B4 1 transport certificate and must be able to show that he meets the necessary requirements copy of certificate VAVI Page 32 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 ANNEX D Notification of complaints and accidents or mishaps evaluation criterion no 12 Name of potato grower Address Postal code Town Country Tel no Fax no Buyer Fax no e mail Inspection authority Fax no e mail COMPLAINT ACCIDENT Parcel code Variety Action Storage code Date of accident Description of complaint accident Measure number checklist nos 1 to 61 Corrective measure Improvement measures how to prevent complaint accident in future Where is the product in question now On the growers farm at the buyer s premises in temporary storage Date of notification to buyer incl faxes or e mails For the attention of Mr Ms
32. lysis packages GC MS and LC MS This laboratory will perform the analysis in accordance with the Good Laboratory Practices GLP The analysis will be carried out in accordance with ISO 17025 guidelines for accredited or similar analyses in other EU member states Samples will be collected by the inspection authority and sent to a laboratory The samples will be analysed in the laboratory and the results will be reported to the potato cultivation firm and the authorised buyer s of the potatoes within 3 weeks The results of residue analyses must be known to the buyer before delivery VAVI Page 18 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 5 3 Frequency of sampling If a large number of batches of the product and small number of MRL infringements e g 1 are anticipated a large number of samples gt 459 will be needed to detect at least one infringement with a 99 reliability This number of samples is so high that in practice a statistically responsible random sample would not be economically feasible nor would it be required since the residue monitoring programme usually forms an integral part of a total monitoring package of which the physical business and administrative audit provides the basis A more limited random sample will therefore suffice The historic residue data are an important factor in the size of the random sample taken is there a high risk of MRL infringements Moreover the checks that th
33. n and data for the buyer Following his application for a VVA Certificate from a recognised inspection authority the potato grower authorises the inspection authority to supply the following data to the buyer he has designated gt In an Excel overview Designated buyer Grower number customer number with buyer Number with inspection authority Audit date Expiry date of certificate Surname Name Address Town Result Certificate number Reason non approval following audit Description non approval following audit Residue sample sample of crop or tuber Results of residue sample gt The inspection authority must supply the data using the format in the report file at www vavi nl The inspection agency is obliged to ensure that the growers database is available digitally gt Copy of the results of the residue sample of the grower of the authorised buyer VAVI Page 26 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 ANNEX C Self assessment checklist for potato growers evaluation criteria measure 1 Name of company Dates acucesenk Signature GENERAL ASPECTS Key point to consider Measure to be taken by grower Applied Yes No N A Self assessment Use of machinery Traceability 1 Complete the self assessment checklist annually prior to company audit date and signature 2 Use properly maintained and clean m
34. ng licence in the Netherlands is compulsory if not compulsory the technically responsible person has to demonstrate his experience 50 Keep up to date records of sprout inhibitors used 51 Try to maintain optimum climate control maintain correct water temperature in air humidifiers 52 Only use correctly adjusted properly installed and well maintained heating equipment do not place on or over product 53 Only use fuels that are suitable for drying heating products 54 Ensure presence of a protective plate shatterproof lamps or a protective sheath where potatoes are processed or stored 55 Use of mercury and or glass thermometer in or above potatoes prohibited 56 No direct daylight in storage facilities above product 57 Well maintained cooling equipment only with cover plate over product STEK test certificate oo 0 0 oo oo VAVI Page 31 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 EX WAREHOUSING AND OR DELIVERY Applied Key point to Measure to be taken by grower Yes No NA consider as Foreign bodies 58 Deploy sufficient capacity to weed out foreign substances green Oo O 0 tubers during delivery Safety periods 59 Strictly comply with safety periods waiting times when using crop O O O protection agents Transport 60 In the event of transport under own management clean vehicle after O O O transporting the fo
35. ontamination crop storage or the mixing of crops e VVA accredited potato crops may not be grown in fields at a distance of less than 10 metres from GMC trial fields e VVA accredited potato crops may not be grown on parcels where GMC crops of the Solanum family potatoes or tomatoes have been grown in the last 4 years e GMC potato varieties may not be cultivated e During the year of production machinery and storage equipment boxes storage bunkers etc which have been used for the cultivation storage ex warehousing transport and processing of crops grown on GMC potato trial fields may not be used for VVA accredited potato crops e Mandatory notification after having established the GMOs of the discovery of an incidence of GMC including an indication of what corrective measure s have been taken VAVI Page 7 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 3 3 Checklist of evaluation criteria 3 3 1 General General remark evaluation criteria that are not operational during the inspection will be regarded as having been satisfied if the grower describes the way they are implemented and this account accords with the guideline VAVI Page 8 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Key point to consider Risk Measure to be taken by grower requirement Self assessment Use of machinery Traceability Party does not comply with VVA requirem
36. pean norm EN ISO IEC 17020 2004 or Product certification NL NEN EN ISO IEC 45011 1998 European norm EN ISO IEC 45011 1998 The independent inspection authority must also have proven expertise in the inspection and auditing of potato growers and potato cultivation firms It must employ personnel who are experts in the independent inspection auditing of guidelines checklists on arable farms and who can convert these to a VVA Certificate and the issuing of such a certificate A number of criteria are required for e an independent audit organisation autonomy neutrality objectivity confidentiality and the ability to lodge an appeal The authority concerned must be able to demonstrate that it has the necessary expertise to offer a professional judgement e inspectors auditors operational independence gt any involvement with competitive entities that could influence the neutral and unbiased judgement of these inspectors concerning the businesses to be inspected is prohibited Inspection authorities that wish to launch their activities with the VVA Certificate programme must first be accredited by VAVI VAVI reserves the right to assess the performance of inspection authorities or to have them assessed by a third party The EN ISO IEC 17021 2011 certification governing certification authorities will be used as a basis for this VAVI Page 25 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 ANNEX B Informatio
37. rcels meet the evaluation criteria following the combined physical and administrative company audit and provided the residue analyses do not show evidence of excessive or divergent amounts The VVA Certificate is the proof that all the requirements specified in the User Guide to the VVA Certificate have been adequately met If the entire company cannot be certified certificates at parcel or variety level may be issued This is subsequently reported to the buyer A potato grower who is given a negative assessment by the VVA Certificate audit can lodge a formal objection Once the potato grower has been notified in writing by the inspection authority that it will not be issued with a VVA Certificate with accompanying reasons it can lodge an objection in writing with this inspection authority Objections that cannot be dealt with in a straightforward manner by the inspection authority will be collected together and considered by a joint industrial committee If a potato grower cannot accept the outcome of his objection by the inspection authority he can apply to VAVI to go to arbitration VAVI Page 22 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Table showing audit system and audit frequency Period Type of audit activity Year round April to October cultivation phase October to July storage phase e Registration of potato parcels according to variety parcel level and surface area ha
38. rotection agents or fertilisers in the storage facilities Waste e g packaging materials remains and hazardous substances should be stored in such a way as to prevent contamination of the product Preventing pests and pet animals and birds excrements and nests on product in storage space by sheltering adequately e g close off access no birds above parties no pet animals in products by installing nets in front of entry and exit hatches etc Place humane trap boxes for pests in safe places if necessary When using pesticides take the possible built up resistance to these products in the area into account Prevent contact of the product with pesticides Administer in accordance with statutory dosage regulations instructions and other guidelines on the sprout inhibitor agent label In relation to the use of shoot inhibitors the technical person responsible grower and or cultivation supervisors has to be able to demonstrate his competence by means of for example a spraying licence and substantiate the use of shoot inhibitors by means of for example a spraying licence A spraying licence in the Netherlands is compulsory if not compulsory the technically responsible person has to demonstrate his experience Keep up to date records of sprout inhibitors used VAVI Page 13 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Climate control Heating equipment Lamps abov
39. safety periods waiting times when using crop protection agents VAVI Page 14 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 Transport Contamination by foreign bodies wood glass oil fertiliser stones 60 In the event of transport under own mOOD gt m 61 management clean vehicle after transporting the following animal feed inputs sweep out soil stones clean with water high pressure artificial fertiliser clean with water packaged products sweep out dry stackable poultry and horse manure clean and disinfect wet fertiliser clean disinfect and release after external checks carried out by an ISO 17020 certified inspection authority In the event of transport by third parties at grower s request Transporter must hold a GMP B4 1 transport certificate and must be able to show that he meets the necessary requirements copy of certificate VAVI Page 15 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 4 Audit system 4 1 Introduction The independent audit is designed to establish whether a potato cultivation firm has adequately upheld the agreements made governing the cultivation harvesting transport warehousing and storage of potatoes destined for the potato processing industry such that accidents or mishaps relating to food safety are prevented The VVA Certificate is the demonstrable proof that the control m
40. settle on the product in the storage facilities 44 Prevent the faeces of pets and other animals and birds from coming into contact with product e g by applying mesh or netting to intake and outlet flaps 45 No storage in storage facilities boxes where GMC potatoes have been stored during the same growing season 46 Never store crop protection agents or fertilisers in the storage facilities 47 Waste e g packaging materials remains and hazardous substances should be stored in such a way as to prevent contamination of the product 48 Preventing pests and pet animals and birds excrements and nests on product in storage space by sheltering adequately e g close off access no birds above parties no pet animals in products by installing nets in front of entry and exit hatches etc Place humane trap boxes for pests in safe places if necessary When using pesticides take the possible built up resistance to these products in the area into account Prevent contact of the product with pesticides 49 Administer in accordance with statutory dosage regulations instructions and other guidelines on the sprout inhibitor agent label In relation to the use of shoot inhibitors the technical person responsible grower and or cultivation supervisors has to be able to demonstrate his competence by means of for example a spraying licence and substantiate the use of shoot inhibitors by means of for example a spraying licence A sprayi
41. tc the Min EZ has announced in 2012 that certification is a possible testing method for the green requirements of the future Common Agricultural policy The sustainability requirements are included on a case by case basis in the self assessment lists manual Sustainable Agricultural enterprise You can find these in the last 12 pages of the Manual VVAK via the link www Productschapakkerbouw nl teelt In the growers manual VVAK a separate table is included on pag 12 23 and 14 which indicates which sustainability requirements a grower must meet VAVI Page 5 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 2 Registration and deregistration procedure A potato grower can register with one of the certified inspection authorities see www vavi nl By registering the grower also gives permission to the designated inspection authority to send the details concerning the potatoes he grows to a buyer who has been specifically nominated or authorised by the grower The buyer needs to receive these details well before the potatoes are supplied so that he can take delivery of and process these inputs in a responsible way The data that must be sent on to the authorised buyer is shown in annex B Once a grower has registered for a VVA certificate he will be asked each year by the IA whether he wants to extend his contract The contract will be automatically renewed unless the grower specifies to the contrary The grower is enti
42. the agents used and the inspection authority can then establish whether the product meets the statutory norms governing the presence of residues of crop protection agents Only substances permitted in the country in which potato production is taking place Netherlands UK Germany Belgium France may be applied in accordance with the instructions for use The maximum dosage according to the user instructions may not be exceeded At the request of the inspection authority and or VAVI members in the event of an accident or mishap or in response to specific field results samples of other substances than those listed in the existing package can be screened Before the start of the cultivation season before April the inspection authority will submit the proposed analysis method to VAVI together with the list of the substances to be analysed In order to include as many other substances as possible with the standard package of substances to be checked the screening will be based on the so called multi residue analysis methods Use will be made of the analysis packages GC MS gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection and LC MS liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry All samples have to be investigated in accordance with the GC MS technique and the LC MS analysis method The inspection authority will have the samples analysed by an internal or external laboratory with a STERLAB or similar accreditation for both the ana
43. tled to terminate his contract with the inspection authority before the start of the next growing season Registered status applies to growers who are registering for the first time and to growers who have previously been turned down by the inspection authority If the grower uses more than one company name he must notify all these names when he registers in order for the certificate to be valid for all the potatoes grown by him regardless of the name they are supplied under The IA selected by the grower will then contact him by telephone and or in writing to arrange an appointment to carry out the physical audit of the cultivation firm Upon registering the grower undertakes to cooperate with the audits carried out by the inspection authority This means that he must set aside sufficient time for the audits It is possible to deregister at any time of the year and the certificate would then remain valid for the remainder of the growing season unless the certificate s validity expires prior to that An inspection firstly has to be conducted by the next Controlling Authority before a new certificate can be issued VAVI Page 6 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 3 Evaluation criteria 3 1 Introduction The cultivation of potatoes in accordance with the evaluation criteria required for the VVA Certificate is divided into four important process stages viz the cultivation phase 1 harv
44. uccessful growers will revert to the status registered If the entire company cannot be certified certificates at parcel or variety level may still be issued This is subsequently reported to the buyer In principle all the currently relevant food safety requirements imposed on the grower or by the aforesaid evaluation criteria will be audited Evaluation criteria which are not operational during the inspection will be regarded as having been satisfied if the grower describes how they are implemented and this description accords with the guideline The audit methods to be used are as follows e Physical audit of the premises Show updated cultivation registration of crop protection agents and fertilisers up to the date of the audit and with due regard for the safety i e waiting periods Audit of sprayer licence where applicable Audit of sprayer certification where applicable Audit of fertiliser sprayer certification where applicable Map of location of parcel floor plan of storage area The evaluation criteria used will be audited at the grower s premises and on one or more of the parcels Where applicable an audit will also be carried out on the machinery being used by third parties e g contractors who are doing work for the potato grower in cultivation harvesting and transport at the grower s premises e Sampling this is carried out to test for the presence of residues of authorised or unauthorised and regist
45. ucial during various phases of the potato cultivation production process Cultivation phase check on the registration of agents used analysis of residues of authorised and recently prohibited agents The results are compared with the registered use submitted by the potato grower Warehousing storage delivery audit on the registration of the agents used after harvesting and on the residues detected at the time the product was released testing for MRVs The inspection authority is responsible for taking samples and for ensuring that the residue analysis meets the specified conditions The conditions that VAVI imposes on the residue monitoring programme are set out below VAVI Page 17 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 5 2 1 Conditions governing the residue analysis The check is designed to establish the presence of residues of crop protection agents in samples of crop leaf during the potato cultivation phase and in the product potato after harvesting The check takes the form of a broad screening of residues of crop protection agents which are relevant to potato cultivation and to current pesticide legislation The product referred to is potatoes grown for consumption or for use as inputs for the potato processing industry Sampling is carried out in such a way as to provide an accurate picture of the parcel crop batch The results of the analysis are used to check the registration of
46. visors for O O O agents incl seed crop protection and fertilisation must be able to demonstrate his potato treatment competence e g by a sprayer licence and to substantiate the use of crop protection agents e g by a sprayer licence A sprayer licence for the Netherlands is mandatory Where it is not mandatory the technical supervisor must show evidence of the necessary experience 29 Store crop protection agents in accordance with national and local 0 O O legislation 30 Use correctly adjusted clean and properly functioning sprayer O O O Follow the statutory inspection intervals test certificate present In countries without mandatory inspection annual calibration must be carried out date recorded Date 31 Maximum dosage and the number of applications in line with user O O O instructions must not be exceeded 32 Only use statutorily approved agents When using crop protectors 0 O 0 that still are in the testing phase the approval of the customer is required for their use 33 Comply with safety periods O O 6 34 Keep up to date records of crop protection agents used including O O O notifying harvesting date in connection with waiting times reason for application name of user and type of treatment 1 x per week Hunting 35 Hunting prohibited if there is a risk of shot entering product O O Oo Water 36 Only use good quality rainwater sprayer water If in doubt consult O O O consumption analysis r
47. y the inspection authority and substantiated and elucidated These objections will be considered once every quarter by the joint industrial committee This committee consists of 1 representative of the buyers VAVI members 1 representative of an inspection authority to be designated by VAVI 1 representative from the potato growing industry to be designated by LTO in the Netherlands or by a comparable body in the country concerned and if necessary an independent specialist in the area to which the objection relates to be designated by the three aforementioned committee members Once the committee has considered the objection it will issue recommendations to the relevant inspection authority The inspection authority will notify the potato grower in question as to whether or not his objection is to be upheld If a potato grower cannot accept the inspection authority s response to his objection he can apply to VAVI to go to arbitration see the Purchasing Terms and Conditions governing Potatoes the Potato Processing Industry Growers and the Arbitration Rules for 2004 VAVI Page 21 of 35 01 03 2014 User Guide to the VVA Certificate Version 12 8 Summary The Food Safety Certificate for the Potato Processing Industry VVA Certificate is a programme that has been compiled by the Dutch Potato Processing Association VAVI in the form of a User Guide to the VVA Certificate The User Guide describes how potatoes can b
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