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Approved Maintenance Compounds (Non-Dairy) Manual

1 Introduction

Amendment 0

July 2007

1.1 Background

The scope and application of this manual is outlined in section 1 of Part A. This part of the manual provides additional guidance that is of specific interest to applicants.

1.2 Chemical Approval Systems in New Zealand

Animal Products Act – Non-dairy Processing

This manual, and the associated approval system, only applies to maintenance compounds used by operators processing non-dairy animal products who are operating under the Animal Products Act (APA) regime.

Animal Products Act – Dairy Processing

The only operators processing dairy animal products, under the APA, who are required to use approved maintenance compounds are farm dairies. A list of approved maintenance compounds, referred to as ‘Approved Sanitisers and Detergents’, is available at Registers & Lists - Dairy Products. For further information on this system use the ‘contact for enquiries’ details on that page.

All other operators processing dairy animal products, under the APA, are not required to use approved maintenance compounds. These operators must determine that the maintenance compounds and their intended use will not adversely affect the suitability for processing of animal material, or fitness for intended purpose of the animal product. Some operators voluntarily elect to use Agriquality reviews of maintenance compounds to assist with determining the acceptability of compounds. For further information on these reviews contact Agriquality. It should be noted that NZFSA farm dairies approvals are underpinned by these reviews but they do not have any legal standing in their own right.

Food Act

Operators processing food, under the Food Act, are not required to use approved maintenance compounds / chemicals. These operators must determine that the maintenance compounds / chemicals that they use will not adversely affect the food being processed. Some operators voluntarily elect to use APA (Non-dairy) approvals to assist with determining the acceptability of compounds.

1.3 Status of Overseas Approvals

NZFSA carries out an independent assessment of a maintenance compound when determining whether to approve the compound. As a result NZFSA does not recognise overseas approvals. Two common examples of these are:

• NSF (NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company)

Historically the Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS), a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), required meat and poultry facilities to use products in and around food processing areas (Nonfood Compounds) that had been approved under the USDA authorisation programme. In the late 1990s the USDA ended this programme.

In December of 1999, NSF International launched a voluntary Nonfood Compounds Registration Program to re-introduce the previous authorisation programme administered by the USDA.

Although NZFSA does not recognise NSF approvals providing details of an NSF approval may help in the assessment process.

• Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), part of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.