Red Seal certified products assure the buyer that the two major aspects of any commodity purchase, Food Safety & Quality, can be verified through a consistently applied assessment process. Thus, Red Seal certification is inclusive of both industry best Food Safety Practices and Product Quality Assurance.
Red Seal certification assures the buyer that their purchased products were handled, produced, packaged, and stored at a facility where practices are consistent with a minimum of 21 CFR Section 110 (current Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP/Risk based methodologies. Each Red Seal Member facility must demonstrate that their Food Safety programs are documented and implemented according to Codex Alimentarius and the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria of Foods (NACMCF) guidelines, verified by an authorized food safety auditor of the association, or have been certified to a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standard by an authorized certification body. The required Food Safety practices detailed in these standards are among the best in the food industry.
Facility Requirements:
I. Meet one of the four pathway requirements described in the Member Food Safety Certification Scheme (see Table 1. Member Food Safety Certification Scheme in the Red Seal Certification Brochure)
II. Maintain a minimum of an 1800 score on Tri-annual member GMP/Food Safety audits.
Quality Requirements:
I. A list of provisions that must be met and are specific to Red Seal Certified products will be as follows:
- Every individual test in the lot to be certified must meet the specification and grade applied for (averaging rules do not apply)
- Product must be inspected within 30 days of shipment (re-inspection required if product has not been shipped within 30 days)
- No rejected segments allowed (re-testing individual samples not allowed)
- Labeling of each unit must reflect the exact contents being certified
- Crop year is verified as part of the inspection
- Positive lot identification (package unit and certificate must match)
- Red Seal certified products must proudly display the “Red Seal” on their marking
II. Red Seal Certified products must be certified according to specific “Contract Requirements” that will fully state all conditions of sale to be certified in order to meet the Red Seal Member’s contractual agreements with their customers.
III. All laboratory analysis test results on the product to be certified must meet customer specifications as mentioned under “Contract Requirements”.
