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CONSULTATION ON THE DRAFT PRODUCTION OF PROCESSED MEAT CODE OF PRACTICE

MEMORANDUM

Background

In consultation with the New Zealand Pork Processors Association, NZFSA has developed a Code of Practice for the Production of Processed Meat (COP). The COP has been developed to assist meat processors comply with the requirements of the Food Act 1981 and the Animal Products Act 1999 (APA) when producing processed meats such as fresh sausages, cooked cured meats, cooked uncured meats, bacon, uncooked comminuted fermented meats, dry-cured meats and dried meats.

This COP has been written for processors operating a Food Safety Programme (FSP) under the Food Act, or a Risk Management Programme (RMP) under the APA. However, the information is also recommended for those operating under the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974.

The COP is also expected to be used by recognised evaluators and verifiers under the APA and FSP auditors under the Food Act when checking the adequacy of risk based management programmes producing processed meats.

Contents

The COP provides guidance on good manufacturing practice, process control, and the application of HACCP principles for the production of processed meats. It also contains references to the legislation that is applicable under the APA and the Food Act as directly relevant to each section of the COP.

The procedures given in each section are the accepted or industry agreed means of meeting the regulatory requirements. The operator must comply with the procedures that are applicable to their product and process unless they have demonstrated the validity and effectiveness of a preferred alternative. Guidance material is presented in a box. It provides explanatory information and options for achieving a particular outcome or requirement which the operator may or may not choose to follow.

Consultation

The Draft Production of Processed Meat COP is now being released for external consultation. You are invited to make submissions on the draft COP by 5.00pm, Friday 6 November 2009.

Submitters are asked to include the following information with your submission:

• Your name and title;

• Organisation’s name where applicable;

• Address and contact details (phone, fax and e-mail if available);

• The section of the COP that is being commented on where appropriate.

Submissions should be addressed to:

Programme Manager (Animal Product and Food Processing)

New Zealand Food Assurance Authority

PO Box 2835

Wellington

Alternatively, responses can be e-mailed to: lisa.olsen@nzfsa.govt.nz

All submissions are subject to the Official Information Act 1982. Therefore if you consider that all or part of your submission is commercially sensitive or should be treated as confidential, please state this clearly when making your submission.

Yours sincerely,

Judy Barker
Assistant Director (Production & Processing)
New Zealand Standards

New Zealand Food Safety Authority.