Food Certification International (FCI) has become the first certification body in the world to complete the process of accreditation to extend its scope of operation to cover the new GlobalG.A.P. Version 4 Aquaculture Standard.
 
The formal accreditation, just approved by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), means FCI is now able to provide accredited certification services against the new standard for an increased range of aquaculture species included within the finfish, molluscs and crustacean scopes.
 
The ability to cover this standard will be further enhanced by FCI’s recent award of accreditation to inspect and certify aquaculture feed production plants against the GlobalG.A.P Compound Feed Manufacturers v 2 standard. FCI was the first European based certification body to be awarded this accreditation.
 
Effectively, FCI is now in the position to further expand its range and distribution of services to new markets and in particular provide a complementary service to a wide range of aquaculture producers and their compound feed suppliers. Already, FCI has gained a number of new clients in Turkey for the farming of sea bass, the Faroe Islands for salmon and in Suriname for the production of farmed shrimp.
 
Martin Gill, FCI managing director, said: “We are delighted to have become the first certification body in the world to be accredited to the GlobalG.A.P. Version 4 standard.
 
“It greatly extends our scope of services to the aquaculture sector, which is great news for the industry. It is vital that the aquaculture companies underline their responsible practices through the achievement of such recognised standards.”
 
FCI has over 15 years experience as a UKAS accredited certification body specialising in providing independent inspection and certification for the international aquaculture, compound feed, commercial fishing and seafood processing sectors. The farmed species eligible for certification under GlobalG.A.P. Version 4 are:
 
FINFISH
Atlantic salmon; Coho salmon; Chinook salmon; Brown trout; Rainbow trout; Arctic char; Tilapia; Pangasius; European seabass; Gilthead seabream; Pirapitinga; Tambaqui; Pacu; Tambacu; Piraputanga; Matrinxa; Cobia; Channel catfish; North African catfish; Sampa; Wels catfish; Spotted sorubim; Barred sorubim; Pufferfish; Barramundi; Yellowtail kingfish; Atlantic halibut.
 
CRUSTACEANS
Giant tiger prawn; Kuruma prawn; Green tiger prawn; Whiteleg shrimp; Indian white prawn; Speckled prawn; Giant river prawn; Red swamp crawfish.
 
MOLLUSCS
American cupped oyster; Pacific cupped oyster; European flat oyster; Yesso scallop; Chilean-Peruvian scallop; Red abalone; Blue mussel; Chilean mussel; Green mussel; Mediterranean mussel; New Zealand mussel.