About GMA-SAFE

GMA-SAFE (formerly National Food Processors Association), created in 1907, is the nation's largest food trade association and the nation's voice on scientific, technical, regulatory and food policy issues. The FPA is a non-profit trade association headquartered in Washington, D.C. and exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. With three laboratory centers, GMA-SAFE's mission is to provide the highest quality scientific, technical and regulatory services to its members, and translate its expertise into sound public policy and programs designed to provide value to its member companies.

GMA-SAFE has long worked with United States food companies, government agencies, and others to ensure the safety and high quality of the nation's food supply. To assist its members in achieving this goal, GMA-SAFE met with many of the nation's leading food companies to establish the Supplier Audits for Food Excellence Program ("GMA-SAFE" or the "SAFE Program").

The SAFE Program is a voluntary, independent, industry-designed program for conducting audits of suppliers ("Suppliers") of food ingredients, packaging and co-manufacturing services to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of food industry audits. The Program has been developed in conjunction with a task force of industry food processors and others, giving consideration to the needs of industry related organizations and businesses, national and international standards, and recognized industry experts. The task force was composed of representatives from the following companies:

The GMA-SAFE Program is based on a descriptive audit that reviews the Supplier's practices in the areas of quality-related management responsibility, prerequisite programs, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point ("HACCP") based food safety systems, production controls, quality management systems and regulatory considerations. The audits are coordinated by GMA-SAFE and conducted by independent third party auditors who have been trained and certified by GMA-SAFE ("SAFE Auditors" or "Auditors"). GMA-SAFE has established eligibility qualifications, training, certification examination procedures, insurance and continuing education requirements for SAFE Auditors as part of the SAFE Program. GMA-SAFE accepts Supplier requests for audits, and makes certain information about the Supplier's audit needs available to SAFE Auditors. The Suppliers and SAFE Auditors are then responsible for contacting one another to arrange and negotiate the terms of each individual audit. GMA-SAFE assists the parties in scheduling audits, posting the audit reports to a secure website, and otherwise overseeing administration of the SAFE Program. Although the audits themselves are conducted by third-party GMA-SAFE certified Auditors and reports are prepared solely by the Auditors, GMA-SAFE staff will check audit reports for consistency and completeness prior to being posted to the secured website.

The SAFE Program offers a broad range of benefits to the entire food industry, including:

• Enhanced and more uniform audit information of Suppliers' food safety and quality systems.
• Elimination of costly, duplicative audits.
• Cost efficiencies for both Customers and Suppliers.
• Establishment of a high-quality training and certification program for auditors.
• Enhanced ability to detect and respond to changing industry trends.