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AgVetLink December 2004

Imports programme review

At the end of November NZFSA received the final report of the review (by an independent review team) into New Zealand’s imports programme for the imported products that come under NZFSA’s management. This list includes agricultural compounds (including veterinary medicines and animal feeds), food and food containers. The review, the first since 1996, involved a ten-month investigation and consultation period. The final report includes the review team’s findings, conclusions and recommendations. (Check the NZFSA website if you are interested in viewing a copy.)

Agricultural compounds

Overall, the review team found that the imports regime for agricultural compounds is generally adequate. However, the chair of the review team, Dr John Hellstrom, said that the lack of routinely collected data on import shipments made it difficult for the review team to draw any firm conclusions. Therefore, one of their main recommendations is to improve data collection and management systems.

Specific to the agricultural compounds area, other recommendations include instigating risk-based testing and targeted process audits, and ensuring that any new regulations are risk-based and efficient.

Tim Knox, Director of Domestic and Imported Food, welcomed receipt of the report. He said, ‘We are very satisfied with the process that the review team went through to produce the report. They have considered all aspects of the imports regime and consulted with a wide range of stakeholders. The next step is for NZFSA to address the report’s recommendations, consider their implications and plan the way forward. This review is not something that happens every day, or even every year. So we have to take the time to consider its implications carefully’.

Early in the new year, the ACVM Group will begin working through any implementation implications for our areas of responsibility, and we will be using AgVetLink as a key communications tool for this.