CDFA (California Department of Farming and Agriculture)
CDFA Proposition 12, Farm Animal Confinement is new program within the Animal Health and Food Safety Services division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Animal Care was formed after the passing of Proposition 12 in 2018 to implement the law and its first task has been joint promulgation of regulations with Department of Public Health in addition to outreach and education of stakeholders. Registration is required by January 1st, 2023
The purpose of CDFA Proposition 12 is to ensure animal agriculture producers are promoting and protecting the welfare and care of animals in agriculture and making sure California consumers have access to food that is sourced from humanely and sustainably raised animals.
On November 6, 2018, California voters approved Proposition 12, the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative. This law requires that covered animals be housed in confinement systems that comply with specific minimum CDFA Proposition 12 standards for freedom of movement, cage-free design, and minimum floor space, and identifies covered animals to include veal calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens, as specified.
The CDFA Proposition 12 law prohibits a farm owner or operator from knowingly causing any covered animal to be confined in a cruel manner, as specified, and prohibits a business owner or operator from knowingly engaging in the sale within the state of shell eggs, liquid eggs, whole pork meat or whole veal meat, as defined, from covered animals confined in a cruel manner.
Covered animals include:
Calves
Breeding Pigs
Egg-laying Hens
General requirements of CDFA Proposition 12 certification:
- Comply with Proposition 12 and applicable regulations.
- Producers must allow on-site inspections including all pastures, fields, shelters, enclosures, and houses where covered animals dwell
- Distributors must allow on-site inspections of areas where covered animals and animal products are sold, stored, packaged, labeled or represented for sale or distribution
- Allow inspection of all aspects of handling, storage, packaging, sale, transport, and distribution of covered products
- Maintain all applicable records concerning production and distribution of covered animals and products for a minimum of two years
- Make all required records available for review and/or copying for all covered products
- Notify the certification body of any changes they may affect CDFA Proposition 12 compliance.
Who should get certified?
California producers, distributors, and retailers of covered animals and/or animal products are required to be CDFA Proposition 12 certified if products are sold in California.
Certification Process
Submit an application to government entity or certifying body which includes:
- Company name
- Authorized primary contact
- Company Address and Phone
- Type and quantity of covered animals or products
- Description of animal confinement practices including segregation if a split operation
- Description of management practices
Once the application is submitted it must be reviewed by the government entity or certifying body along with any additional supporting documents. If all documentation is in order, an on-site inspection is conducted. Upon completion of the initial on-site inspection, the certifying agent must review the on-site inspection report, and any additional information provided. If the certifying agent determines that the confinement or distribution system and all procedures and activities of the applicant’s operation comply the certifying agent shall grant certification.
Benefits of getting certified
- Increased value of products sold.
- Improved quality of life for covered animals
- Reduce human food-borne illness
- Promote worker safety, the environment, and other human or safety concerns.
Why QSE:
QSE Consulting is the practice of assisting small, medium, and large organizations in developing, training, implementing, and maintaining a documented Quality Management System (QMS) for achieving CDFA certification.
QSE Consultants can prepare your facilities to have a Quality Management System (QMS) and associated documents/records to show as evidence of having implemented the system
QSE always follows a tried and tested 10 step disciplined path in preparing facilities CDFA certification, which is insensitive to failure
QSE Consultants assist facilities to prepare a comprehensive simplified documentation system to show as evidence of having a streamlined process that ensures quality product or service every time without fail
QSE consultants help in identifying issues and concerns of all stake holders and take them in to account in preparing a QMS for CDFA certification
QSE assist facilities in matching competence of personnel assigned to tasks, methods to select providers who supply quality products and services
QSE Consultants assist to build a robust system which compels task performers to have defined roles, responsibilities, and controls to ensure quality
QSE Consultants assist organizations to identify all manufacturing and nonmanufacturing processes and facilitate in establishing process performance metrics or process performance indicators (Key Process Indicators = KPIs) to effectively monitor and measure organizations intended Goals and Objectives
QSE Consulting services are required to assist organizations in building a comprehensive QMS to identify risks at every process and have steps to mitigate risk
Internal Quality Audits conducted by QSE consultants, help the facilities to find all deficiencies in their implementation which are not normally found during organizations first party audits
QSE Consultants provide training to top management in promoting Risk-Based Thinking, Process Approach, and Continual Improvement
QSE consultants assist organizations to effectively control document information (Documents and Records) related to changes.
QSE consultants will ensure that certification is achieved with no or minimum nonconformities first time around
The QSE Difference in Consulting, Auditing, & Training for CDFA Certification
QSE is a premier Consulting, Auditing, and Training firm engaged in the field of CDFA certification to international standards
QSE has a unique 10 steps disciplined path for CDFA certification which is insensitive to failure
QSE’s unique document simplification tools result in smooth implementation to achieve CDFA certification
QSE’ s documentation covers all requirements of customers and other interested parties, statutory and regulatory requirements
QSE’s unique simplified documented system is easy to integrate to other management systems
QSE engages qualified and competent auditors to conduct internal audits
QSE’s internal audits are more stringent than CDFA Certification Bodies audits and will help companies pass certification audits with minimum nonconformities or no nonconformity
98% of QSE assisted facilities passed the initial certification audit with zero deficiencies with a 100% passing rate first time around
QSE covers all the requirements of the standard including the implicit intent of the standard
QSE’s system development involves all relevant employees which lead to effective implementation
QSE’s Document Simplification is unique comprehensive single level documentation which ensures effective implementation
QSE’s documentation is unique, simple, lean, and easy to implement and sustains certification audits in the long run
QSE’s CDFA internal auditing services promote the unbiased assessment of QMS implementation and the extent of implementation
QSE ensures to provide implementation assistance or complete understanding of the documentation and requirements
QSE’s unique management review format results into no nonconformities against management review during certification audits
QSE does not simply tell our customers what to do but assists them on how to do it
QSE’s 10-step disciplined path for CDFA certification, achieves the organizations certification in the shortest possible time. Usually within 5 months
QSE provides post auditing services if required and can take the disputes to the highest levels for resolution.
How much time does it take to get CDFA certification?
Typically, it takes anywhere between 5 to 6 months for certification when you start from scratch. QSE has well developed systems and CDFA templates which are easily understood for implementation. Therefore, it is possible to get certification as quickly as 5 months through QSE.
