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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ'S)

Why is the VBP program worth my time?

The VBP program is about more than just on-farm food safety. It's about bringing Canada's beef operations in line with new marketplace expectations, to support producer and industry success now and in the future.

This is why for the large and growing number of Canadian beef producers who participate in the VBP program, the time spent to attend a workshop and meet the requirements of the program is viewed not as a cost but as an important investment.

Canada's beef producers already have a reputation for acting responsibly, but VBP takes that to a new level.

By providing the latest knowledge to assess and improve on-farm food safety, the program helps producers keep up to date with best practices. These are designed to not only ensure on-farm food safety but to also support improved efficiency.

By providing a trusted, recognized process to verify good on-farm food safety practices, the program also gives producers an increasingly critical "stamp of approval" in the marketplace. This conveys a preferred status on producer operations and products, to improve standing with both direct customers and end users.

This status is increasingly important around the world to meet evolving regulatory and consumer expectations, as food safety continues to grow as a public priority and a major factor in consumer buying decisions. This is reflected by the many on-farm food safety management programs now implemented in different sectors of food production in Canada and major food production countries around the world.

The bottom line is that by participating in the VBP program, Canada's beef producers make an investment that pays off in stronger competitiveness for their operations and their industry, both in the short term and long term. For many beef producers, that investment is considered time well spent.

How does the VBP program relate to Quality Starts Here?

Quality Starts Here (QSH) was the program under which Canada's beef on-farm food safety effort started. It was a broad education program aimed toward exploring the importance of improved standards for food safety and quality.

Verified Beef Production (VBP) grew out of QSH as specific program for recognized standards of on-farm food safety. VBP essentially took on-farm food safety requirements developed under QSH and made those requirements auditable and "HACCP-based."

This allowed the requirements to be recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points - an international quality control program used widely in many industries.

Grass-roots driven and industry-led, VBP is focused on assisting beef producers to provide verified assurance of good on-farm food safety practices to their customers.

Today, QSH continues to serve as an umbrella educational component for VBP. Producers learn about the VBP program at VBP workshops held regularly across Canada. Producers can contact Provincial Delivery Agents (PDAs) for information on the latest producer workshops across Canada and how to participate.

What are other sectors doing in on-farm food safety?

Verified Beef Production (VBP) is part of a broad, global trend in food production, both in Canada and internationally, toward verified food safety standards.

This includes many on-farm food safety management programs in different sectors of food production implemented in Canada and major food production countries around the world.

One driving force is that processors in have implemented mandatory "HAACP-based" programs in North America. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points - an international quality control program used widely in many industries. As part of their programs, these processors are aiming to source raw products / inputs from sources that have implemented HACCP-based on-farm food safety programs such as VBP.

The following page includes links to information on provincial VBP programs, other national on-farm food safety programs and several international programs. These examples represent only a small portion of the many programs for verified food safety standards now implemented around the globe and increasing every year.