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Risk Management Programmes

October 2005

What is a Risk Management Programme (RMP)?

RMPs are written programmes designed to identify and manage hazards and other risks so that the resulting animal product is fit for its intended purpose. RMPs need to be submitted to the NZFSA by 1 April 2006 to ensure that they are registered by 1 July 2006. Bee products processed, handled or stored in premises without an RMP after 1 July 2006 will not be eligible for official assurances (certification) but may be sold on the domestic market. Once registered, an RMP becomes a legal document binding on the business it applies to.

Do I need an RMP to be an exporter of bee products?

No. Exporter registration is a separate matter because some exporters do not process products. See Exporter Registration

Do I need an RMP to process bee products for export?

If you are a primary producer only (i.e. you just keep hives and harvest honey but some-one else does the extracting and you don’t store the end product yourself), then you do not need an RMP.

However, if you are a secondary processor: i.e. you extract honey or handle other bee products (e.g. pollen) You will need to have a registered RMP from 1 July 2006. In the mean time you should have current registration by your local authority under the Food Hygiene Regulations, or an approved food safety programme under the Food Act.

Can’t I wait until I want to start extracting in December 2006 (i.e. the start of the next honey flow after the 1 July 2006 deadline for RMPs) to get my RMP registered?

No. RMPs do not cover product retrospectively. If export certification is wanted for any products that are extracted, packed or stored after 1 July 2006 then the premises in which this happens must have a registered RMP.

However, if you will not undertake any of these activities until the beginning of the next honey flow after 1 July 2006 then you could take a little longer to get your RMP registered, provided you have it registered before commencement of any of the activities that the RMP covers.

We would also suggest that RMPs should be submitted for registration well in advance of December 2006 to avoid delays that could occur should NZFSA receive a large number of RMPs for registration all at once.

RMPs should be submitted to the NZFSA by 1 April 2006 so they can be processed in time for the 1 July 2006 deadline.

What do I need to send in for registration with my template RMP?

• Completed AP4 RMP Registration Form

• Completed RMP Template (2 copies)

• Site plan showing buildings and RMP boundary (2 copies)

• A letter confirming who your verifier is. (Obtained from your contracted verifier)

• $100.00 fee

What documents from my template RMP don’t I send in for registration? (I will need to be able to show these to the verifier)

• Up to date version of the COP

• Pre-season checklist

• Cleaning schedule/records

• Potable water checklist if not on town supply

• Water management plan (If required after completion of potable water checklist)

• Approved chemicals list

• Harvest declarations or equivalent records

• All required records

How much will my RMP cost to register?

This depends on whether what you are doing is covered by the COP and whether you choose to use the template provided.

If you are just doing standard processing that is covered by the COP and template then most of the hard work has been done for you. The RMP template will take you some time to complete and then you will need to check that your facilities and processes comply with the Code of Practice. Once that has been done, registration will be a simple administrative process, with no requirement for an independent evaluation assessment. The charge for this is based on an application fee of $100 plus an hourly rate for the assessor charged at $80.00 per hour. (Both GST inclusive) We would expect that any RMP fully based on the template will take an hour or two to check.

If you are doing things not covered by the COP then the RMP will need additional development and independent evaluation by an approved evaluator. This will require a site visit unless an exemption is given. The evaluators cost is negotiated with the evaluator. NZFSA’s charge is calculated as above, recognizing that our assessor may need to spend significantly more time checking RMPs that have not been based on the template provided.

How often will my RMP need to be Verified?

Verification is performance-based, so that if you are complying with your RMP and your premises is in a reasonable state of repair then the RMP will next be verified in a years time.

However, if you are not complying with your RMP then verification visits can become as frequent as every two weeks, and each visit is chargeable. Overseas market access requirements may also dictate that more frequent verification visits are required. For more details on this see our statement of policy on verification found at: http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/animalproducts/publications/policystatements/verification/verification2005.htm and specific market access requirements.

Who will verify my RMP?

RMPs are verified by recognized agencies under the Animal Products Act. Currently there are two recognized agencies that can verify bee product RMPs. These are AgriQuality Limited and the NZFSA Verification Agency.

AgriQuality Limited can be contacted through:

Byron Taylor
Apicultural Advisory Officer
AgriQuality Limited
Private Bag 3080
Hamilton
New Zealand
Phone 07 850 2867
Fax 07 850 2802
Cell 021 918 400
Email: taylorby@agriquality.com

NZFSAVA can be contacted through:

Nicola Bowden
Technical Coordinator
NZFSA Verification Agency
Level 7, North Tower
Telecom Network House
86 Jervois Quay
PO Box 2835
Wellington
Phone 04 463 2667
Fax 04 463 2697
nicola.bowden@nzfsa.govt.nz

or

Brian Astridge
Technical Coordinator
NZFSA Verification Agency
Level 7, North Tower
Telecom Network House
86 Jervois Quay
PO Box 2835
Wellington
Phone 463 2750
Fax 04 463 2697
brian.astridge@nzfsa.govt.nz

How much will verification cost?

Information on verification charges should be confirmed with your verifier.

Contact for enquiries

New Zealand Standards Group
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
68-86 Jervois Quay
PO Box 2835
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND

Phone: +64 4 463 2500

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