GAP FOOD SAFETY
Does Your Buyer Want a GAP Audit?
What We Do Before Your Audit
Grocery stores, schools, and distributors often ask farms for a food safety audit. We write your food safety plan, set up your logs, and run a practice audit so you pass the real one.
Your Food Safety Plan
A written plan that covers water, soil amendments, animals, and worker health, built from how your farm really runs.
Logs and Training
Simple cleaning and harvest logs, and training for your crew so everyone knows the steps.
Practice Audit
A practice audit with a traceability test and a mock recall, then a clear list of what to fix.
Why Farms Choose Kona Organic for GAP
A food safety audit is mostly about proof. We help you set up the proof once and keep it going.
Trained in PrimusGFS
Our team is trained in PrimusGFS and knows what auditors check.
One Set of Records
Food safety and organic logs that work together, so you do the work once.
Built for Small Farms
Simple logs your crew will really fill out, with no extra paperwork.
Common Questions
What is a GAP audit?
GAP means Good Agricultural Practices. An auditor checks that you grow, harvest, and pack food in a safe way.
Who needs one?
Any farm whose buyer asks for it. Many stores, schools, and distributors will not buy without one.
Is GAP the same as organic?
No. Organic is about how you grow. GAP is about food safety. Many farms have both, and the records overlap.
How long does it take to get ready?
Most farms need a few weeks to a few months. It depends on what records you already keep.
Do you do the audit?
No. An audit company does the audit. We get you ready for it.
Do you work with farms outside Hawaiʻi?
Yes. We work with farms anywhere in the world by video call and shared files.
Is a GAP audit required by law?
No. A GAP audit is voluntary. Buyers like grocery chains, distributors, and schools often ask for one before they will buy.
How often is a GAP audit?
Once a year. The audit is done while you are harvesting or packing, so the auditor can see your crew at work.
What a GAP Auditor Looks At
Your written food safety plan, worker training and hand washing, water, animals and manure, harvest tools and bins, the packing area, and a trace of one lot.
Which Audit Do You Need
Buyers name the audit they accept, so ask before you pay for one. Getting the wrong one means paying twice.
GAP and Organic Together
The two share a lot: field maps, input logs, cleaning logs, and lot tracking. We set up one set of records that serves both.
Who this is for
Farms and packers whose buyer asked for a GAP audit or a food safety plan.
When to call us
Call as soon as a buyer asks. Audits happen while you are harvesting or packing, so the plan and the logs need to be in place before then.
Our conflict of interest policy is simple: we never inspect an operation we consult for, and your certifier always makes the certification decision. Book a consultation to talk through where your operation stands and what it needs.
Related: Organic Certification for Farms • What Is a GAP Audit? • Organic Sales and Marketing • Take the free readiness quiz