Nonggwanwon Conducts Simultaneous Inspections of 62 Agricultural Product Quality Management Certification Agencies

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service (NAQS) announced on the 19th that it will inspect 62 certification bodies nationwide that manage Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified farms and certified facilities.

GAP is a system that strictly manages agricultural products at each stage?from production and post-harvest management to distribution?under rigorous standards to ensure safety from farm to table, preventing contamination of agricultural products by pesticides or harmful microorganisms.

During this inspection, NAQS plans to verify the appropriateness of the certification bodies' organization and personnel management, the management of certified farms and facilities, and the proper execution of certification tasks.

Specifically, they will check whether certification bodies secure adequate auditing personnel, comply with third-party certification principles in their certification task organizations, and properly adhere to the principle prohibiting auditors from self-certification.

Lee Joo-myung, head of NAQS, stated, "In line with agricultural policies that prioritize people and the environment, we will continue to expand the production and distribution base of GAP-certified agricultural products so that the public can consume agricultural products with confidence, and strengthen the management of certified agricultural products."

Schematic diagram of the GAP agricultural product production process. (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

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