Comments on Proposed USDA ARC Changes Due by March 6

The Audit, Review, and Compliance Branch of the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing changes (which can be read online) to two of its documents: ARC 1000 Procedure and ARC 1012 Procedure.

The ARC branch is accepting comments on the proposed changes on or before March 6. The changes appear mostly to be points of clarification but in ARC 1000 there is one major change that allows clients to request that they forego a desk audit. PDF versions of the draft documents are linked below. 

• ARC 1000 Procedure, Quality Systems Verification Programs, General Policies and Procedures - PDF. The proposed changes would apply to all clients who request audit and accreditation services from the ARC Branch. The majority of the proposed changes further define "Program Suspension" and "Program Withdrawal" and result in consistency between ISO and ARC Branch terminology.
• ARC 1012 Procedure, USDA ISO Guide 65 Program, Accreditation for Certification Bodies - PDF. The proposed changes would apply only to clients who request services under the USDA ISO Guide 65 Program. The proposed changes affect how companies are listed on the Official Listing and define what must be submitted by the certification body prior to surveillance assessments and reassessments. These proposed changes are necessary to meet the requirements of the ISO 17011 Standard.

If you have questions or comments, please contact Courtney Heller at cheller@usmef.org.

The Audit, Review, and Compliance Branch of the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing changes (which can be read online) to two of its documents: ARC 1000 Procedure and ARC 1012 Procedure.

The ARC branch is accepting comments on the proposed changes on or before March 6. The changes appear mostly to be points of clarification but in ARC 1000 there is one major change that allows clients to request that they forego a desk audit. PDF versions of the draft documents are linked below. 

• ARC 1000 Procedure, Quality Systems Verification Programs, General Policies and Procedures - PDF. The proposed changes would apply to all clients who request audit and accreditation services from the ARC Branch. The majority of the proposed changes further define "Program Suspension" and "Program Withdrawal" and result in consistency between ISO and ARC Branch terminology.
• ARC 1012 Procedure, USDA ISO Guide 65 Program, Accreditation for Certification Bodies - PDF. The proposed changes would apply only to clients who request services under the USDA ISO Guide 65 Program. The proposed changes affect how companies are listed on the Official Listing and define what must be submitted by the certification body prior to surveillance assessments and reassessments. These proposed changes are necessary to meet the requirements of the ISO 17011 Standard.

If you have questions or comments, please contact Courtney Heller at cheller@usmef.org.