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Sourcing animal products for export

There are 2 ways that you can source animal products for export:

• find a manufacturer

• manufacture the products yourself.

The requirements are different for dairy products and other animal products. They also depend on whether official assurance is required and whether the product is for human consumption, animal consumption or neither (for example, hides and skins).

For more about official assurances, refer to the section ‘Official assurances – getting export certificates’ in the link below.

Export requirements for animal products

Find a manufacturer

If you intend to source product from a supplier, they need to comply with the relevant requirements of the Animal Products Act.

If you are exporting any of the following:

• dairy product for human or animal consumption

• dairy products not for human or animal consumption with an official assurance

• animal products for human or animal consumption with an official assurance

the manufacturer must operate under a registered risk management programme. The links below will help you find manufacturers with registered risk management programmes (RMPs).

Registered risk management programmes - dairy

Registered risk management programmes - animal products excluding dairy

If you are exporting animal products (excluding dairy) not for human or animal consumption, and with official assurance, use the link below to help you find manufacturers with export approved premises (EAPs).

Export approved premises

Manufacture the product yourself

If you intend to manufacture animal products for export in your own plant you need to ensure you comply with the relevant premises requirements under the Animal Products Act.

Dairy products – premises requirements

The following types of dairy products must be processed under a registered risk management programme:

• dairy products for human or animal consumption that are intended for export

• dairy products not for consumption, exported with an official assurance.

Some exceptions to the above are:

• dairy products processed for the New Zealand market or export to Australia must be manufactured under a food safety programme approved under the Food Act 1981, if they are not manufactured under an RMP

• all farm dairy operations must be covered by an RMP.

For a complete list of exemptions see:

Animal Products (Exemptions and Inclusions) Order 2000 [PDF 100 KB]

Further, dairy processors are required to meet the export requirements notice.

Animal Products (Export Requirements – Dairy Products) Notice 2005 [PDF 60 KB]

Other animal products (excluding dairy)

Premises requirements for export with an official assurance

There are 2 possibilities, depending on the intended use of the animal products.

1. Animal products (excluding dairy) for human or animal consumption that are exported with an official assurance need to have been processed under a registered risk management programme (RMP). In some cases they may be processed under a regulated control scheme (RCS).

Risk management programmes (RMPs)

Regulated control schemes (RCSs)

2. Animal products (excluding dairy) not for human or animal consumption (for example, hides, skins and feathers) that are exported with an official assurance must be processed by an export approved premises (EAP) or, optionally, an RMP under the Animal Products Act 1999.

Learn more about export approved premises (EAP) [PDF 84 KB]

List of export approved premises

Apply for export approved premises status

An RMP can cover you as an export approved premises (EAP)

Premises requirements for export without an official assurance

There are 3 possibilities, depending on the intended use of the animal products.

1. Animal products for human consumption that are exported without an official assurance need to have been processed under one of the following:

• the Food Act 1981, for example a food safety programme (FSP)

• risk management programme (RMP)

• regulated control scheme (RCS)

In all cases, you need to ensure that you have checked the overseas market access requirements (OMARs) and there are no additional requirements that need to be met, that is, country listings.

Market-specific access requirements – includes OMARs

Some exceptions to the above are:

• primary processing of animal products must be carried out under the Animal Products Act, usually with a risk management programme (RMP). Primary processing includes; slaughter and dressing of mammals and birds, processing of dairy products and removal, extraction or harvesting of any animal material from live animals.

For a complete list of exemptions see:

Animal Products (Exemptions and Inclusions) Order 2000 [PDF 100 KB]

2. Animal products (excluding dairy products) for animal consumption that are exported without an official assurance need to have been processed in accordance with the Animal Products Act or the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1977. Check the country OMAR to ensure there are no additional requirements that must be met, for example, country listings.

3. Animal products not for human or animal consumption that are exported without an official assurance and where there is no OMAR requirement are not subject to any NZFSA legal requirements. Note that some operations require processing under an RMP, for example, rendering. In these cases there are no subsequent NZFSA requirements on the exporter.

Contact

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

export.animalproducts@nzfsa.govt.nz

Related links

• Becoming a dairy manufacturer

• Food safety programmes - how to protect your customers and your business

Last updated 26 May 2009