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Exporting - Risk management programmes (RMPs)

Risk management programmes are a key regulatory component of the Animal Products Act 1999. Processors, manufacturers and exporters of animal products all need to be familiar with the requirements of the Act.

What RMPs mean for manufacturers and exporters

If you export animal products but are not the processor or manufacturer, you need to ensure that all processors and manufacturers involved in the production of your product operate an RMP, or equivalent risk management system. This could be an export approved premises (EAP) or food safety programme (FSP).

For example, if you are exporting meat pies, the meat in the pies must come from RMP-registered slaughter operations. The manufacture of the meat pies must be carried out under the requirements of the Animal Products Act 1999 (RMP) or under the Food Act 1981 (FSP or Food Hygiene Regulations). Which Act you operate under depends on whether the intended market or markets require an official assurance.

Export requirements for animal products

Animal products excluding dairy - Registered risk management programmes

Dairy - Registered risk management programmes

Official assurances require an RMP

If you are a secondary processor of animal products intended for human or animal consumption and your products are being exported to a country requiring official assurance, you need an RMP. If your products are exported only to countries that don’t require official assurances, then as a secondary processor of these products you don’t need an RMP. You can operate under the Food Act.

RMPs and export approved premises (EAPs)

If you produce animal products for export with official assurance, and your products are not intended for human or animal consumption, then you do not need an RMP. You do however need to be registered as an export approved premises (EAP). Alternatively, if you already have an RMP for other aspects of your operation, you can extend its scope to include your export approved premises (EAP) activities.

For example, you have a slaughter operation that produces hides and skins. The hides and skins collection can be covered by either:

• a separate EAP listing obtained for the hides and skins operation, or

• an RMP (covering slaughter and dressing, as well as hides collection and processing).

An RMP operation can include EAP activities within its scope. However, an EAP premises cannot undertake activities for which an RMP, an FSP or the Food Hygiene Regulations are required.

Contact NZFSA for further advice

RMP configurations

Implications of RMP configuration for market access overseas

A risk management programme may be configured in various ways.

If you have a single RMP covering more than one site or more than one business, this may cause problems if you are also intending to export and country listings are required. If you are planning to export with a multi-site or multi-business risk management programme, contact NZFSA first to discuss the implications.

Contact NZFSA for further advice

Related links

• Risk management programmes

• Exporting

• Animal products – Country listings

• Dairy products – Country listings

Contact

Please include your geographical region so we can direct your enquiry to the correct person.

export.animalproducts@nzfsa.govt.nz

Last updated 2 February 2010