GAPs Audit Process

Good Agricultural Practices USDA Audit Process

The GAPs training program provided by the Ohio State University assists growers with achieving the necessary requirements of USDA GAPs or Group GAPs audit process. USDA GAPs and Good Handling Practices (GHP) are "voluntary audits that verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored as safely as possible to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards" (USDA-GAPs, 2002). The OSU GAPs training program is not a certification or audit program, but rather, provides growers with the knowledge and resources required to meet USDA audit requirements.

USDA GAPs Audit Program

The Ohio State University does not conduct GAPs audits/inspections.  Audits are conducted by USDA agents from the Local Specialty Crops Inspection Division.   To inquire or apply for AMS auditing services, contact the Specialty Crops Division, Audit Services Branch (phone: (202) 720-5021; Fax: (866) 230-9168; Email: scaudits@usda.gov).

In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Division provides on-farm GAPs audit consultations. For more information on requesting an on-farm consulation in Ohio contact:

Matt Fout, Produce Safety Manager
(614) 600-4272
email: matthew.fout@agri.ohio.gov

Operators can have their entire farm audited or specific fields (crops) audited.  The cost of an on-farm audit depends on the size of the farm and the proximity of the farm to the inspector.  If you are audited by a Federal-State cooperator (i.e., Ohio Department Agriculture), you will receive two bills for your USDA GAP audit:

1. The first bill will be from the State Department of Agriculture that performed your audit. This bill covers the time and associated travel costs for our trained and licensed Federal-State cooperator to conduct the audit.

2. The second bill will be from USDA. This bill covers the time required for AMS to review, approve, issue certification, and, if requested, post your audit report on the Azzule website. If you chose a USDA Harmonized GAP Plus+ audit, your bill also will include a Global Food Safety Initiative certification fee.

More information on billing is provided below.

GAP Audit Fee Schedule

USDA Harmonized GAPs Audit Program

In 2018, the USDA and FDA aligned USDA’s voluntary Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Audit Program with the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. The alignment is a tool that farmers can use to demonstrate to buyers that they are implementing the requirements set forth in the Produce Safety Rule. The alignment means that all relevant technical components in the Rule are covered in the USDA Harmonized GAP Program, and that the metrics used in the USDA program meet the Rule’s ultimate goals of increasing food safety. 

To learn more about the Harmonized GAPs Standard contact your nearest OSU Extension Fruit and Vegetable Safety Team member or the USDA Agriculture Marketing Services website.  Additional resources are also listed below.

USDA GroupGAPs Audit Program

The USDA GroupGAPs Food Safety Program was established in 2016 with the goal of making the audit process more accessible to small and middle sized producers.  GroupGAPs can accommodate a wide range of production and handling practices and different crop types.  Members of a group share a farm food safety plan.  If you can answer YES to ALL of the following questions then you may want to consider Group GAPs:

  1. Are you a member of an organized group or can you create a group?
  2. Are you willing to share responsibility for implementing food safety practices for all of the group members?
  3. Are ALL group members willing to implement (and document) GAPs?
  4. Will your buyer(s) accept a USDA GroupGAPs audit program?

To learn more about GroupGAPs contact your nearest OSU Extension Fruit and Vegetable Safety Team member or visit the USDA GroupGAP website.

USDA Mushroom GAPs (MGAP)

Mushroom Good Agricultural Practices (MGAP) are commodity-specific food safety standards for the growing of mushrooms. Information on MGAP standards, and commercial and USDA audit systems that have adopted the standards, can be found on the American Mushroom Institute website and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service website.

USDA Audit Resources