The USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) is a third-party verification service that offers agricultural companies a unique way to market their products to customers using clearly defined, implemented and transparent process points. An applicant’s program may include one or more agricultural processes or portions of processes where self-described process points are supported by a documented management system, and independently verified by a n Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) auditor. Process points may include how a company conforms to various internal, industry, international or customer defined requirements. As such, process points must be verifiable, repeatable, feasible and factual and cannot be requirements of regulations or management system criteria.
Examples of claims verified under the USDA PVP include:
The backbone of USDA’s PVP is the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) guidelines for quality management systems auditing – an internationally-recognized set of guidelines used for evaluating program documentation and determining how on-site audits should be conducted. The guidelines are designed to ensure that a production system is operating within the parameters that a company has set for itself. AMS auditors undergo extensive training in ISO requirements and audit principles, as well as specific training for the standards they are auditing, which helps ensure the consistency, objectivity, and validity of our auditing services.
Applicants with an approved USDA Process Verified Program may develop promotional materials associated with their process verified points, use the USDA PVP shield in accordance with Program requirements and market themselves as "USDA Process Verified." To learn more about how the USDA PVP, visit the website at http://processverified.usda.gov .
USDA and AMS are committed to the transparency and accountability of our auditing services, so that consumers and buyers can make informed decisions about the products they purchase. We would love to help you find solutions to your marketing challenges through USDA’s PVP. You can contact us at any time to discuss your auditing needs.