Eleven Rivers Growers attends the event: The Impact of Standards in the Agri-food Sector

On August 2, in the facilities of the Research Center for Food and Development (CIAD, A.C.) the event: “The Impact of Standards in the Agri-food Sector” was carried out, organized by the Mexican Certification Entity (EMA, A.C., for its initials in Spanish).

The Mexican Certification Entity, A.C. is the first private management entity in our country, which aims to certify the Conformity Assessment Organizations such as test laboratories, calibration laboratories, clinical laboratories, verification units (inspection organizations), and certification bodies, Suppliers of Proficiency Tests and Verification/Validation Organizations of Greenhouse Gas Emission (OVV GEI), Producers of Reference Materials, and the authorization of Good Laboratory Practices.

These events are a part of the communication strategies used by the EMA through the Regional Strategic Groups, which are multidisciplinary work groups comprised of representatives from different sectors, to strengthen the Mexican System of Metrology, Standardization, and Conformity Assessment, SISMENEC.

The events seek to spread the benefits of working with certified Conformity Assessment Organizations in each state of Mexico, as well as the importance of complying with and enforcing the regulations through a Regional Strategic Group in each state; in order to make synergies among authorities, chambers, associations, academy, research centers, industry, etc.

The purpose of this event is to provide effective tools to promote food safety and quality through certification programs for verification units, certification organizations, and laboratories.

This event included the participation of great experts in the field of accreditation and certification in food safety, such as: Dr. Jorge H. Siller Cepeda, Marcos Villegas – Mexico Representative of Global GAP, Luis Alberto Cruz – SQF Mexico Institute, Adrián Casillas – Latin America Representative of FSSC, Jelf Celestin – Primus GFS, and Gabriela Rea – EMA, A.C. Representative.

Each of the participants stood out how important it is these days for growers to have a food safety certification scheme, which allows them to be competitive internationally, and which represents a wider range of opportunities for companies; they all agreed on the importance of working on the transparency of the global food supply chain worldwide and creating a culture of food safety.