GMP Plus Certificate

GMP Plus Certificate

What Is GMP Plus?

The GMP Plus (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate is awarded to companies in the animal-feed and food sector to evidence that they meet quality and reliability standards. The certificate is managed by GMP+ International, an organisation based in the Netherlands.

The GMP Plus certificate is a system that delivers reliability, quality control, and risk management across the feed and food chain. It evidences that companies follow appropriate standards across raw-material sourcing, production, storage, and distribution.

Which Sectors Does the GMP Plus Certificate Suit?

The GMP Plus certificate is intended for companies in the animal-feed and food sector. The sectors covered include:

1. Feed production: companies involved in producing, processing, and distributing feed used in animal nutrition.
2. Animal production: operations raising livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and ducks.
3. Egg production: operations producing eggs from chickens, turkeys, ducks, and similar birds.
4. Meat processing: slaughter and meat-processing facilities.
5. Feed-additive production: companies producing additives used in animal-feed production, including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

The GMP Plus certificate is designed for companies in these sectors to evidence that they meet quality and safety standards. It helps companies build customer and supply-chain trust, deliver product traceability, and improve risk management. It also matters for competitive positioning in international trade.

Core Requirements of the GMP Plus Certificate

To obtain the GMP Plus certificate, companies must meet the following core requirements:

1. Raw-material safety: the company must evidence that raw-material sources are reliable and track its suppliers. Raw-material selection must align with quality standards.
2. Production procedures: production processes must be designed and operated to applicable standards. Hygiene conditions, process control, and equipment maintenance must be addressed.
3. Product traceability: the company must put in place systems for product traceability. Product batch numbers, dates, supplier information, and similar data must be recorded and trackable.
4. Quality control: the company must set up and operate quality-control processes. These should cover required analyses, sampling, and the issuance of quality records.
5. Personnel training: the company must provide appropriate staff training and build awareness. Staff compliance with hygiene rules, procedures, and quality management is important.
6. Documentation and records: the company must organise and manage documentation and record-keeping. Production, quality-control, and supplier data must be documented and retained.

These are the core requirements for companies seeking the GMP Plus certificate. Specific requirements are set by GMP+ International and are examined in more detail during certification.

GMP Plus Certificate Benefits

The GMP Plus certificate brings companies several benefits. They include:

1. Quality and reliability: the GMP Plus certificate evidences that the company meets quality and safety standards in animal-feed and food production. This assures customers that products are quality-controlled, reliable, and safe.
2. Customer trust: the GMP Plus certificate helps the company build customer trust. With the certificate, customers know that the company's production processes meet the standards and that the products are safe.
3. Competitive position on the market: the GMP Plus certificate gives companies a competitive position in international markets. By evidencing compliance with international standards, the certificate eases entry into export markets.
4. Product traceability: the GMP Plus certificate requires companies to deliver product traceability. This supports fast, effective response to recalls or other product-safety issues.
5. Risk management: the GMP Plus certificate helps companies improve their risk-management processes. By meeting the certificate's requirements, companies ensure raw-material safety, reduce production-process risks, and keep potential product-safety hazards under control.
6. Cooperation and stakeholder acceptance: the GMP Plus certificate makes cooperation with supply-chain stakeholders easier. Suppliers, distributors, and other business partners feel the security of working with a certified company and are more willing to cooperate.
7. Sustainability: the GMP Plus certificate encourages companies to act in line with sustainability goals. The certificate rewards companies that prioritise animal health, environmental protection, and social responsibility.

These benefits cover the general advantages the GMP Plus certificate brings. Individual companies will see different mixes of benefits depending on their specific situation.

GMP Plus Certificate Cost

GMP Plus certificate pricing varies with several factors. Price depends on company size, scope of activity, facility complexity, production volume, audit requirements, and similar factors. The services and support offered by the certification body or audit firm also affect price.

GMP Plus pricing generally rests on several components:

1. Application fee: an application fee may apply for the application process. It covers application review and preliminary assessment.
2. Audit fee: companies pass through the audit process to obtain the GMP Plus certificate. The audit fee covers audit activities and auditor expenses.
3. Process and certification fee: the certification process covers documentation review, reporting, and certificate issuance. A separate fee may apply for this process.
4. Annual maintenance fee: an annual maintenance fee is charged to keep the GMP Plus certificate active. It covers periodic surveillance audits, certificate updates, and support services.

GMP Plus Certificate Consultancy and Training

Companies seeking the GMP Plus certificate or maintaining an existing one can benefit from consultancy and training services. GMP Plus consultants and trainers guide companies through the certification process and provide the required knowledge and skills. The advantages of using consultancy and training services include:

1. Guidance through the certification process: GMP Plus consultants help companies take the right steps through certification. They support understanding the certificate's requirements, preparing the certification application, and preparing for the audit.
2. Policy and procedure development: GMP Plus consultants help companies develop the policies and procedures needed to meet certificate requirements. They guide companies in building a standards-aligned quality management system.
3. Training and awareness: GMP Plus training builds staff awareness and the required knowledge and skills. Training covers understanding GMP Plus standards, hygiene practices, quality-control methods, and traceability.
4. Internal audits: consultants provide training and consultancy on conducting internal audits. They help companies run their own internal-audit processes and identify gaps. This is an important step for continuous improvement during the certification process.
5. Post-certification support: GMP Plus consultants support companies after certification. They provide consultancy to help companies continuously meet certificate requirements and keep certification sustainable.

GMP Plus consultancy and training services guide companies through the certification process and support quality-management-system development. They help companies meet certificate requirements more efficiently and keep certification active over time.