Salmones Multiexport S.A. is Chile’s first salmon producer to earn Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification under the two-year BAP group audit, which is designed specifically for salmon producers. In total, 14 farms attained certification.
The BAP group audit for salmon producers was established in 2016 to reward companies with sophisticated, well-established quality management systems. Farms are held to the same requirements set forth in the BAP salmon farm standards, but the BAP group audit allows for fewer third-party audits, reducing costs while maintaining the integrity of the audit procedure. What’s different about the BAP group audit for salmon is that it’s a two-year certification period due to a longer crop cycle, with a one-year interim audit at the midpoint.
Multiexport is a long-time supporter of the BAP program and is four-star capable, meaning that its product can originate from BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills. Multiexport became eligible to offer two-star BAP salmon in 2013 and three-star BAP salmon in 2015.
Administered by GAA, BAP is the world’s most comprehensive third-party aquaculture certification program, with standards encompassing environmental responsibility, social responsibility, food safety, animal health and welfare, and traceability. The BAP program covers the entire aquaculture production chain — processing plants, hatcheries, farms and feed mills. Additionally, the program is compliant with the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP) and Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI).
Through the end of June, there were 2,414 BAP-certified farms, processing plants, hatcheries and feed mills worldwide. Additionally, the BAP program has more than 150 retail and foodservice endorsers who have committed to source seafood from BAP-certified facilities.
About BAP
A division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain — farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills — that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. BAP certification is based on independent audits that evaluate compliance with the BAP standards developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.
