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Agency Responsibilities and Functions

The NZFSA holds responsibility for:

(a) Establishing the New Zealand standards and specifications relating to animal products that determine fitness for intended purpose

(b) Establishing and implementing regulated control schemes

(c) Providing official assurances (industry certification is to cease by 1 July 2003)

(d) Monitoring and auditing the risk management system

(e) Addressing non-compliance and enforcement.

The MAF Verification Authority has been established separate from, and largely independent of the NZFSA. It is responsible for providing verification services. Under the Animal Products Act verification services are contestable however the market needs other verifying agencies to become recognised under the Animal Products Act. Also, for those businesses exporting animal products, the use of a private enterprise verification agency will depend on acceptability by the trading partners.

Asure NZ and Agriquality are State Owned Enterprises. Asure has taken over some front-line meat inspection functions (ante mortem and post mortem inspection) formerly carried out by MAF. Agriquality has contracted their services directly to processors and producers who need them. Also some Agriquality staff are authorised to perform certain certification functions.

Under the Animal Products Act the intention is to have the front-line inspection functions (ante mortem and post mortem inspection) devolved to industry.

Contestable Functions

For many tasks there is no need for public sector employees to actually undertake the services. The Animal Products Act is structured to allow for non-public sector persons to be recognised by MAF to perform certain tasks under the risk management system. The driving principle is one of individual operators being responsible for their own risk management programmes, and making these programmes subject to independent evaluation and verification that is contestable.

Using recognised agencies and persons delivers the Government's objective of creating a framework that allows for direct industry purchasing of certain services in a contestable market, while maintaining government overview through the recognition process.

Disclaimer:

This publication is not a legal interpretation of the Animal Products Act or the Animal Products (Ancillary and Transitional Provisions) Act and is intended only as a guide.