Scope & module selection
We map your operations to the right modules and confirm what your buyer and certification body expect before any audit is booked.
PrimusGFS consultant · Miami, FL
PrimusGFS certification support from field to cooler
We prepare farms, harvest crews, packhouses, coolers and produce importers for PrimusGFS audits, including the move to v4.0, so U.S. retail buyers approve your product.
What is PrimusGFS? PrimusGFS is a GFSI-recognized food safety certification scheme for the produce supply chain. It audits a Food Safety Management System module plus operation modules for farms, greenhouses, harvest crews and facilities such as packinghouses, coolers and processing plants. A consultant prepares each module; an accredited certification body audits and certifies.
Juan S. VargasSQF Food Safety Auditor · Exemplar Global
- Certified SQF auditorExemplar Global · 2024
- On-site, hands-onMiami-based · across the U.S.
- English & SpanishBilingual training
- Free 30-min gap callReply within one business day
Who it's for
Who needs a PrimusGFS consultant
PrimusGFS is the language of fresh produce. When a U.S. retailer, foodservice distributor or importer asks a grower or packer for a GFSI-recognized certificate, PrimusGFS is often the scheme on the table because it covers the operations other schemes don't: the field, the harvest crew and the packhouse.
- Produce importers and packhouses in South Florida that repack, store or ship fresh produce to retail
- Coolers and cold storage operations handling fresh fruits and vegetables
- Latin American growers and packers supplying U.S. retailers through Miami
- Greenhouse and farm operations whose buyer requires certification of the growing area
- Certified operations that need to prepare for the transition to v4.0
The problem
Why PrimusGFS audits lose points
Produce operations are seasonal, spread across fields and buildings, and run by crews that change from one harvest to the next. That makes the gap between the written system and daily practice wider than in a factory.
A thin FSMS module
Management review, document control, supplier approval, traceability and corrective actions are written quickly and never run, so the FSMS score drags down the whole audit.
Water and field risks undocumented
Water sources, soil amendments, adjacent land use and animal intrusion are not assessed or tested in a way the auditor can follow.
Harvest crew hygiene
Handwashing, toilets, illness reporting and container handling rules exist, but temporary crews were never trained on them.
Packhouse sanitation
Wash water, contact surfaces, cooling equipment and pallets without master sanitation schedules or verification records.
Traceability that breaks
Lot codes that stop at the packhouse door, so a mock recall cannot link a box back to the field or forward to the customer.
Automatic failure items
Some findings, such as an immediate food safety risk to product, can fail an audit outright, regardless of the rest of the score.
What's included
What our PrimusGFS consulting includes
FSMS module build
Food safety policy, management review, document control, supplier approval, internal audits, corrective actions, traceability and recall procedures.
Farm & field risk assessments
Land history, adjacent land, water, soil amendments, wildlife and worker hygiene assessments with the testing and records they require.
Packhouse & cooler programs
HACCP-based controls, sanitation, wash water, pest control, glass and brittle plastic, allergen and foreign material programs.
Bilingual crew training
Supervisors, harvest crews and packhouse staff trained in Spanish and English, with sign-in records and simple visual work instructions.
Mock audit & mock recall
A mock audit by module plus a traceability exercise from field to customer, followed by corrective actions.
The standard
PrimusGFS modules and the v4.0 transition
A PrimusGFS audit is built from modules. Every operation is audited on the Food Safety Management System module, then on the operation modules that match what happens on site. A grower-packer might be audited on the FSMS, farm, harvest crew and packinghouse modules in the same cycle.
| Module | Applies to | What the auditor focuses on |
|---|---|---|
| Food Safety Management System | Every certified operation | Management responsibility, document control, supplier control, traceability and recall, corrective actions, internal audits |
| Farm / field | Open-field growing operations | Land use history, adjacent land, water, soil amendments, pesticides, wildlife and worker hygiene |
| Greenhouse | Protected growing operations | Structure, growing media, irrigation water, pest control and worker practices inside the greenhouse |
| Harvest crew | Crews that harvest product, owned or contracted | Worker hygiene, field sanitation units, harvest containers and tools, product handling |
| Facility: packinghouse, cooler, processing | Buildings where produce is packed, cooled, stored or processed | Sanitation, pest control, wash water, cold chain, foreign material, GMPs and HACCP-based controls |
Two practical points shape the preparation. First, the auditor needs to see the operation running, so farm, harvest crew and packhouse audits are scheduled during the active season, not in the off months when paperwork is easiest to finish. Second, the FSMS module and the operation modules are scored separately, so a strong packhouse cannot hide a weak management system. Buyers often look at both results, not just the certificate.
For multi-site growers and packers, the FSMS can be shared across operations, but each site still has to show its own records, risk assessments and trained people on audit day.
What v4.0 means for your next audit
The PrimusGFS v4.0 documents have been published. Mandatory certification against v4.0 is expected from 2027, after GFSI benchmarking. Operations certified under the current version should use the remaining time to compare their FSMS and operation modules with the v4.0 documents and update procedures once, before the audit that requires them.
| Your situation | Recommended approach |
|---|---|
| Audit in the current season | Close gaps to the version your certification body will audit; review v4.0 in parallel |
| First certification planned for 2027 | Build the system to v4.0 from the start |
| Multi-site grower or packer | Align FSMS procedures across sites first, then update each operation module |
PrimusGFS is not FSMA compliance. A PrimusGFS certificate helps with buyers, but farms still have to meet the FDA Produce Safety Rule, U.S. importers still need an FSVP, and many fresh produce items are on the Food Traceability List with a FSMA 204 compliance date of July 20, 2028. See FSMA, PCQI & FSVP consulting.
How we work
Ready for PrimusGFS in three phases, timed to your season
Gap analysis
Visit to fields, crews and facilities during operation, review of FSMS documents, water and testing records, and traceability from lot to customer.
You receive: gap report by module, action plan, timeline aligned to harvest.
System build & training
FSMS and module programs written with your team, risk assessments completed and supervisors and crews trained in Spanish and English.
You receive: FSMS manual, module procedures and logs, risk assessments, training records.
Mock audit & certification
Mock audit by module during active operation, mock recall, corrective actions closed, and support during the certification audit.
You receive: mock audit report, mock recall results, corrective action log, audit-day support.
Local angle
PrimusGFS for the Miami produce corridor and Latin American growers
Miami is one of the main entry points for fresh produce from Latin America. Importers and packhouses in Doral and Medley receive, repack, cool and redistribute that product to U.S. retailers, and those retailers push certification requirements both down to the packhouse and back to the farm.
We work on-site in South Florida for packhouses, coolers and importers, with every phase done on your floor.
For growers and packers in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Chile, we work remotely on documents and on-site by project, in Spanish, and can coordinate with the Miami importer receiving the product. Spanish-language details are on certificación PrimusGFS.
If your buyer is not a produce specialist, compare options on our GFSI scheme selection page.
Results
PrimusGFS case records
CASE 01 · PRODUCE IMPORTER & PACKHOUSE
28,000 sq ft · Doral, FL
- Standard
- PrimusGFS
- At gap analysis
- 38 gaps in the FSMS module
- At certification audit
- Certified · 96% overall
- Outcome
- Buyer approval secured
10 weeks
Illustrative engagement · real client data pending authorization
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is PrimusGFS recognized by GFSI?
Yes. PrimusGFS is a GFSI-recognized scheme, which is why U.S. retailers and foodservice buyers accept it for produce suppliers. The v4.0 version is expected to become mandatory from 2027 after GFSI benchmarking.
Which PrimusGFS modules do we need?
Every operation is audited on the Food Safety Management System module. On top of that you add the modules that match your operations: farm, greenhouse, harvest crew, or facility (packinghouse, cooler, processing). We confirm the scope with you and your certification body before the audit is booked.
How long does PrimusGFS certification take?
It depends on the number of modules and sites and on the season, because the auditor needs to see the operation running. Packhouses and coolers with basic programs in place can often be ready in a few months; farm operations have to plan around harvest. We set a realistic timeline after the gap analysis.
Do you work with growers outside the United States?
Yes. We support Latin American growers and packers that supply U.S. buyers through Miami, working in Spanish, remotely on documents and on-site by project.
How much does PrimusGFS consulting cost?
Cost depends on the number of modules, sites and crews, whether an FSMS already exists and how much on-site time is needed. Certification body audit fees are separate. We quote a fixed scope after a 30-minute gap call.
Free gap call
Have an audit on the calendar?
In 30 minutes we review your standard, your date and your most likely gaps, and tell you honestly whether you need us.
- +1 786 209 7451
- Mon–Fri · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
- jusevalu02@gmail.com
- 5.0 on Google
Juan S. VargasSQF Food Safety Auditor · PCQI
Request a gap call or a quote
Takes under a minute. Juan reviews every request personally.