The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Board of Directors has announced that the Global Red Meat Standard (GRMS), Fourth Edition, Version 4.1, has been successfully re-benchmarked and has achieved recognition against the GFSI Guidance Document, Sixth Edition. The GRMS has been recognized against Animal Conversion, Processing of Perishable Animal Products and Processing of Perishable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products).

Over the course of the re-benchmarking process, the GFSI Benchmark Committee compared the requirements for food safety scheme ownership, management and supporting systems outlined in the GFSI Guidance Document, Sixth Edition, against the detailed documentation and objective evidence provided by the GRMS for each requirement. The re-benchmarking exercise represented a significant change from the previous approach against the Fifth Edition. Apart from strengthening the requirements for the management of schemes, the major change is the expansion of the document to cover primary production, processing and supporting activities in a more robust way, taking a scope specific approach to eventually cover all parts of the food supply chain.

The current scope of the GRMS scheme only covers beef and pork. GRMS have announced their intention to extend this scope during the course of 2013 to also include sheep, lamb, goat and horse. At this time, the necessary review of the new requirements will be undertaken by GFSI to ensure that they are still in accordance with those set out in the GFSI Guidance Document, Sixth Edition.