Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said: "On behalf of the Harper Government I would like to congratulate the Chicken Farmers of Canada for the successful implementation of this food safety programme.

"By working together to improve the management of food safety risks at the farm level, we are strengthening Canada’s food safety system."

The CFC is the first national organisation to achieve this recognition.

"This is a major milestone for Chicken Farmers of Canada and a source of great pride in being the first commodity to receive this recognition," said Dave Janzen, CFC Chair.

"This achievement, and the programme itself, demonstrates our commitment to meeting the expectations of consumers for safe, quality, Canadian chicken."

The OFFSRP promotes the production of safe, high-quality food at the farm level and encourages national industry organizations to develop food safety systems in line with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles as defined by the Codex Alimentarius.

To qualify for the recognition, national industry organizations must assess their food safety practices against the HACCP principles and submit their food safety program to the CFIA for technical review. Once the food safety program is implemented, audited and assessed, the CFIA grants the recognition.

The CFIA conducts ongoing maintenance reviews of the national industry organization’s food safety program to ensure it continues to meet the requirements of the OFFSRP.