In 2012 Horticulture Australia Ltd (now Horticulture Innovation Australia) initiated a project to harmonise the food safety certification requirements for the major retailers in Australia. The result of this project is the Harmonised Australian Retailer Produce Scheme (HARPS).
The initial HARPS project was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd using across-industry levies and funds from the Australian Government. The scheme is voluntary and application for certification is open to all fresh produce businesses that supply the major grocery retailers. To determine whether your business is in scope for HARPS click here.
The following major grocery retailers participate in HARPS:
HARPS has resulted in the alignment of the major grocery retailers in Australia to accept a suite of food safety standards that will allow growers and packers to complete a single audit against a single standard that will satisfy all retailers, rather than multiple audits against multiple standards.
The HARPS Participating Retailers have worked collaboratively to identify and develop a harmonised scheme that will help reduce audit complexity for businesses that supply more than one major grocery retailer.