Our one day training course includes Freshcare registration, electronic templates in MS Word and a hard copy Freshcare folder. The Freshcare folder has been set up with specialised tabs to streamline the auditing process and is mailed to students, prior to the course. The course outline includes the following:Â
Freshcare Supply chain can be achieved using the same process, however the training is conducted directly through Freshcare.Â
Need help or In-house training? Call 1300 404 505 from 8am until 8pm Monday to Friday or email info@qmsaudits.com.au
If you have any questions or require an invoice to pay via EFT for our HACCP Training, Freshcare Training or HARPS courses , please call us on 1300 404 505 from 8am until 8pm Monday to Friday or email us at info@qmsaudits.com.au
Our one day training course includes Freshcare registration, electronic templates in MS Word and a hard copy Freshcare folder. The Freshcare folder has been set up with specialised tabs to streamline the auditing process and is mailed to students, prior to the course. The course outline includes the following:Â
Freshcare Supply chain can be achieved using the same process, however the training is conducted directly through Freshcare.Â
Freshcare FSQ4.2 is an on-farm certification, which can be used by growers and grower/ packing sheds. Stand alone packing sheds, market stands/stalls must undergo Freshcare Supply chain certification. Freshcare Supply chain training is offered by Freshcare directly as a self-paced option only. Â
HARPS certification is a requirement for suppliers to Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Costco and IGA. Most organisations who require HARPs certification are packing directly into packaging that will end up on the retailers shelf. For example, strawberries growers packing directly into punnets. HARPS is an addendum audit and in most circumstances needs to be conducted as part of a base standard audit.Â
Freshcare is one of the three GFSI base standards for HARPS certification. The other two standards are SQF and GlobalGAP. BRCGS can be used for agents and brokers and some other organisations, which are not on-farm.
Freshcare is the most common base standard used by the horticulture industry in Australia. Freshcare became GFSI accredited in 2020 and is now globally recognised. Freshcare can now be used for export, with many growers and pack houses moving away from GlobalGAP across to Freshcare for its simplicity and access to auditors.
Growers are able to claim the cost of Freshcare training using the Farm Household Allowance (available through Services Australia). QMS Audits is the only Freshcare Approved training company and a Registered Training Organisation (RTO No. 45344) in Australia. As a result, the training must be conducted through QMS Audits to be eligible for this funding.Â
Other Government Grants to consider, contact: Regional Development Fund(VIC), Food to Market Program (VIC), Farm Innovation Fund (NSW), the South Australian Government and Regional Development Australia
Need help or In-house training? Call 1300 404 505 from 8am until 8pm Monday to Friday or email info@qmsaudits.com.au
QMS Audits’ Freshcare Training Course is the first step for growers and packers to satisfy the new HARPS requirements for Woolworths, Coles and Aldi Supermarkets.Â
This comprehensive Freshcare 4.2 training covers everything that is required for Freshcare Certification. Attendees fill out templates and forms throughout the Freshcare training course. These templates can be used during the Freshcare Audit. Wherever possible, we use grower’s records, such as spray diaries. This means that growers do not need to start a new set of records, if they don’t have to.
Freshcare is a GFSI standard and the most commonly used standard for horticulture in Australia. Freshcare is a templated system, meaning the program has been built by Freshcare and therefore only requires the grower to complete Freshcare templates.Â
The Freshcare templates are completed in class during the Freshcare training. A hard copy Freshcare folder and electronic word templates are supplied to each student.Â
HARPS is an addendum standard. It is a certification required to be able to sell produce to Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Costco and IGA and some Quick Service Restaurants.Â
HARPS require a base GFSI standard. There are three standards, Freshcare, Global GAP and SQF. Freshcare is the most adopted horticulture standard in Australia. SQF is the second most common, with many large farms and pack houses opting for SQF certification. Some farms may choose to have the growing operations certified under Freshcare and the pack house certified under SQF.Â
The HARPS standard includes a mixture of both food safety and quality requirements. HARPS is an addendum certification, therefore is audited as part of the base standard audit. It is not possible to be certified by HARPS only. The certification must be conducted by a JS-ANZ accredited Certification body. Please note Woolworths have restrictions on which certification bodies it will accept.Â
From Jan 2019, all indirect suppliers to the 5 major retailers were required to have transitioned from CODEX HACCP (or from no certification at all) to Freshcare, Global GAP or SQF.Â
If you are not supplying into the major retailers or suppliers to the major retailers, then HACCP Certification may be suitable. To find out more, please call our team on 1300 404 505. We are more than happy to discuss your possible options.Â
HACCP is about identifying potential food safety and quality hazards and then deciding what type of gate you need to put in place – do I need a pedestrian gate or a castle with a moat, draw bridge, thick walls and guards with bow and arrows.We think a pedestrian gate controls for low risk hazards and is a Control Point (CP), while the Castle gate acts a Critical Control Point (CCP). If the guy controlling the drawbridge is only letting the pretty girls through – then maybe he is acting more like a Quality Control Point (QCP) and letting this pass through based on their quality!
We will teach you how to identify and analyse food safety hazards, what some of the regulations are and how to control them. Then we will teach you how to write up a HACCP Plan – we give you HACCP templates to give you a head start and you will get to write some of your HACCP Plan up in the class. We drive healthy class discussion to keep you awake and to keep it relevant.
Our Freshcare courses are purposely capped at 12 people. Everyone has an opportunity to ask specific questions about their farm and packhouse.Â
Whenever possible our examples are based on information supplied by class members. Why would you use examples from a fictitious farm, when class members can tell you exactly how they managed an issue with their Freshcare program. Whenever we can, we use examples from the class or from our own experiences preparing Freshcare and HARPs programs and conducting internal audits.
At QMS Audits – we write up lots of Freshcare, SQF, GlobalGAPS, HARPs and HACCP programs, conduct internal audits and attend external certification audits.
We also conduct HACCP Certification for growers and packers, who do not require Freshcare/HARPs certification.Â
