Turkey production integrated in GLOBALGAP standard

This is why there was a desire among both producers and retailers for a special turkey module in the GLOBALGAP standard. The declared aim was to enable the production of turkey meat from GLOBALGAP-certified production.

In 2008 the activities of the responsible standard managers and the sector committee for agricultural livestock at GLOBALGAP therefore focused on developing the turkey module.

The experience and the committed involvement of turkey production specialists helped to define the control points and the compliance criteria. Compliance with national and international laws was of fundamental importance here.

Housed and free-range stock, sheds and shed facilities, supply of feed and water, bird health and hygiene measures, residue monitoring, veterinary care and monitoring of turkeys, loading and  transport of birds for slaughter and compliance with social standards for employees and their qualifications are the most important items included. In the audits these are queried via control points with the respective compliance criteria.

The control points are divided into “major musts” (must be met without exception), “minor musts” (must be compliance with 90%) and “recommendations” (compliance is recommended and desirable).

Several test audits with the new turkey module have already been successfully carried out in Europe and South America.

Following completion of the public consultation, the turkey module will reach interim final status in November 2008. It will be available as a new GLOBALGAP product for certifying the production of turkeys at the end of 2008. The offer to all existing certification systems for turkeys to agree with GLOBALGAP on a recognition process (benchmarking) will then also be in place.