Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) BAP Certification and How Eurofins Can Support
By Andrew Ward – Business Development Expert in Seafood
Seafood, which equates for a major part of the protein consumed in the world today is only as good as those who catch it, farm it, process it, market it, and distribute it to the masses. However, being a part of the global seafood supply chain means so much more in this day and age. There are rules, regulations, and standards in place to ensure that every step in the process and link in the chain is executed in a sustainable, socially ethical, responsible, and harmonious way to benefit the environment and the consumer.
The harmony started in 1997 with a vision cast by George Chamberlain, some shrimp farmers and some seafood companies who believed that the global seafood industry could do better. Out of the vision came the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP); a set of standards that are the most comprehensive third party aquaculture standards in the industry that have evolved over the years and can now boast 8,000 practicing member companies who are feed mills, hatcheries, farms, and processing plants. Each member company is committed not only to the pillars established by the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) and mentioned above, but also to food safety. Food safety includes but is not limited to, the design and execution of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, understanding the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), product testing (micro and analytical) and in most cases, doesn’t allow for non-conformities.
Making sure that one uses an accredited and credible lab as a resource to comply with mandates, adhere to standards, and ensure accountability is where the global network of Eurofins comes into play. Our network of ISO 17025 accredited laboratories has played a crucial role with GSA member companies in that we can provide testing, consultation, and guidance on methods and best practices. These in turn enable GSA member companies to meet the standards established by the GSA and to pass along the health, sustainability, and ethical benefits of seafood that has been caught or farmed and processed under the purview of the GSA.