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Animal Products (Transport of Export Animal Products and Handling at Point of Export) Notice 2009, Animal Products (Regulated Control Scheme - Animal Products Transportation for Export with Official Assurances) Notice 2009

Date: 3 November 2009

1 Notification

1.1 The Animal Products (Transport of Export Animal Products and Handling at Point of Export) Notice 2009 and Animal Products (Regulated Control Scheme - Animal Products Transportation for Export with Official Assurances) Notice 2009 were issued on 29 October 2009.

1.2 The regulated control scheme (RCS) introduces an alternative to registering a transport risk management programme (RMP). The requirement for a RMP commenced on 1 November 2009. The requirement for a RMP is the primary requirement established in the Animal Products Act 1999 (The Act). The Act requires transport of animal material and animal products to occur under a registered RMP if the product is for human or animal consumption and it requires eligibility for export with official assurances.

1.3 The RCS is an alternative option which a transport service operator can choose to operate under. There is no compulsion to register under the RCS. But by choosing to not register under the RCS the transport service operator must then operate under a registered transport RMP, in order to transport under the conditions mentioned in 1.2 above.

1.4 All modes of transport are required to operate under either a RMP or under the RCS. These include road, rail, sea and air. Transport that is not defined as primary or secondary processing is outside the scope of the RCS (e.g. transport of animals to slaughter premises, transport of fish caught on inshore fishing vessels for delivery to a land based fish processing factory). Transport activities that are specifically exempt from the requirement for a RMP are also exempt from any requirement to operate under the RCS.

1.5 NZFSA is in the process of establishing a web register for the transport RCS. This is likely to be available on or soon after 1 December. Correctly completed RCS registrations that are received by NZFSA are compliant with the RCS irrespective of whether the web register is available. Transport service operators who send in a registration should retain a copy of the registration form until registration has been confirmed.

1.6 RMP operators who do not have transportation covered in the scope of their RMP are deemed to be in compliance with the regulated control scheme until 31 March 2010, by which time they will need to have completed an amendment of their RMP to include transport or register under the RCS as a transport service operator.

1.7 In the months leading up to 31 March 2010 NZFSA will be producing a guidance document to help businesses ensure their systems and records will meet the needs of the RCS.

1.8 Formal Verification of the RCS commences after 31 March 2010. However operators currently being verified under existing requirements may elect to be verified in accordance with the RCS before 31 March 2010 once they have registered under the RCS.

2 Amendment Details

2.1 The Animal Products (Transport of Export Animal Products and Handling at Point of Export) Notice 2009, dated 29 October 2009, replaces the Animal Products (Animal Products Transportation and Handling at Point of Export) Notice 2009 dated 10 September 2009. The main changes are:

a. The addition of documentation and transfer certification requirements. This has been moved over from the draft Animal Products (Regulated Control Scheme - Animal Products Transportation for Export with Official Assurances) Notice 2009, because these requirements need to apply to both RCS transport service operators and RMP transport service operators.

b. Delay in cancellation of OMARS: 08/004 Road and Rail Transport of Export Meat, Game and Game Meat Products; 02/107 Road and Rail Transport of Fish Products Intended for Human Consumption and for which Official Assurances are required; 02/094 Verification Activities for Fish Products at Wharves; 00/094 Road and Rail Transport of Export Meat, Game and Game Meat Products to and from Licensed or Approved Premises and; 00/092 Verification Activities for Animal Products at Wharves. This is a consequence of the delay in full implementation of the RCS until 31 March 2010.

3 Cancellation

3.1 Refer to the revocation section of the notice.

4 Implementation

The Animal Products (The Animal Products (Animal Product Transportation and Handling at Point of Export) Notice 2009 commences on 1 November 2009.

Authorised by:

[Signed]

Mary Western

Deputy Director – Standards
New Zealand Food Safety Authority