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Food Connect Spring 2007

NEWS FOR THE PROCESSING, MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT SECTORS

SPRING 2007

Guidance for selling meat at market stalls

The increasing popularity of farmers’ markets offers an opportunity for selling meat and meat products from market stalls. NZFSA has responded to concerns around the sale of meat by preparing guidance material for stallholders and market organisers.

The guidance outlines the steps for stallholders to take to keep meat and meat products safe at markets. It provides information about food safety legislation and good practices for complying with legal requirements for anyone who is selling meat from stalls. This includes identifying that:

• meat is ‘regulated meat’ (ie: it is slaughtered and dressed at facilities that have a risk management programme)

• pre-sale storage, cutting, preparation and packing occur in ‘registered’ premises

• packaging used is impervious (ie: vacuum packed or similarly sealed), to contain products and prevent contamination during transport and on site

• ‘suitable’ chilled storage is provided during transport and while at the stall

• temperatures of meat and meat products are regularly checked to ensure they are maintained at 4°C or below to minimise bacterial growth.

This guidance material is available for all existing stalls currently selling or currently proposing to sell, meat and meat products and for market operators and Territorial Authorities (TAs). It is intended that a ‘responsible’ person for the market (ie: the market operator) will check that the guidance is being followed at stalls, while TAs that regulate food safety at markets will also ensure that appropriate steps are being taken.

NZFSA will be auditing markets to identify that the guidance is being followed.

The guidance material is available on NZFSA’s website (www.nzfsa.govt.nz/processed-food-retail-sale/index.htm ) and NZFSA would be pleased to receive feedback identifying how the sale of meat and meat products are being controlled at market stalls. Please contact Chris Hewins, on 04 894 2567 or 029 894 2567, or email chris.hewins@nzfsa.govt.nz.

Salami standard ready to go – News for the Meat Industry

NZFSA has developed a New Zealand standard for the production of salami-type products (UCFM) sold for human consumption.

Uncooked comminuted fermented meats (UCFM) are products that contain minced, chopped or ground meat (primarily beef and pork) along with salt, nitrite, glucose, spices, seasonings, and a starter culture.

The ingredients are mixed and comminuted (reduced in size) to produce a ‘batter’. The mixture is then stuffed into a casing, fermented, dried, and sometimes smoked, to achieve the desired end product, such as salami, pepperoni, summer sausage or bologna.

Until now in New Zealand, butchers/processors of these products have not had a specific standard for this product. Although the likelihood of a food safety problem is low, several high-profile cases overseas suggest it may only be a matter of time for a similar outbreak here. When NZFSA assessed the data on the pathogen, shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), found in raw meat, it found the current level of control in some UCFM-producing premises was insufficient to assure safety.

The consequences – diarrhoea and kidney damage – for susceptible groups such as children and the elderly can be severe, even fatal, as well as having a long-term effect on the industry through loss of confidence.

In the interests of both consumers and the industry NZFSA has developed a standard that will help minimise the risk of UCFM products containing pathogens such as E. coli.

“The problem”, says Scott Crerar, NZFSA Assistant Director (Technical Standards and Systems), “is that E. coli cells are only slowly killed in fermented meat products, both during and after processing. If high numbers of E. coli are in the raw ingredients, or the process is poorly controlled, enough may survive processing to cause serious illness in consumers.

“This is what occurred in Adelaide in 1995 with tragic, long-lasting consequences to the victims. The Australian smallgoods industry also endured long-term losses.”

After the South Australian outbreak new legislation was introduced by Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA), which applied only to Australia. “This new New Zealand standard will bring more certainty to New Zealand consumers that these products are safe to eat”, says Scott.

“As with many foods, cooking is needed to kill the bugs, but UCFM products are ‘ready to eat’ – they don’t need to be heated or cooked so they don’t have that extra step which would kill any potential pathogens. This is why it is doubly important to have high processing standards that ensure safe food for consumers.”

The new standard will rely on the ‘hurdle technique’ to control pathogens. This is when a series of preservative factors (hurdles) are introduced during processing to create unfavourable conditions for pathogens. The combined hurdles should halt and prevent growth of any dangerous micro-organisms present and provide a safe product.

Salami is an excellent example of a food that is preserved through the use of multiple hurdles, such as the presence of nitrite, salt, low pH (from lactic acid), a low water activity and in some cases the presence of antibacterial compounds from smoking. The key lies in monitoring the hurdles to ensure they are doing their intended job.

For some small businesses this may mean more or better equipment or changes in monitoring, followed by external verification that the required checks have been completed. This may incur some costs but the costs of a loss in consumer confidence may well be higher.

The new standard should be in place by the end of the year and will be introduced under both the Food Act and the Animal Products Act. All UCFM processors operating under New Zealand’s regulatory framework will be required to follow the standard.

Broiler chickens under the spotlight – News for the Poultry Industry

New Zealand and Sweden are leading an international project under the auspices of the Codex Alimetarius Commission to develop an international standard for the control of Campylobacter and Salmonella in broiler chickens.

Chicken is recognised worldwide as a major vehicle for foodborne transmission of the pathogens Campylobacter and Salmonella, and New Zealand has a comprehensive strategy to address this problem in New Zealand. The Codex Working Group will bring together worldwide expertise to develop international guidelines that incorporate the most up-to-date thinking and experience, which will greatly assist NZFSA in implementing controls in New Zealand.

To begin the work, Codex member countries were asked to supply national scientific data that would assist the working group. This data was used to prepare technical resource documents for development by the Working Group. The first meeting was held in Sweden in May 2007, with over 30 participants from 20 countries.

The likely format of the standard was agreed and this will incorporate a farm-to-plate approach with potential control measures being identified at all relevant steps. This is a novel approach for Codex and will provide considerable flexibility to countries in their individual choice of control measures (and level of consumer protection).

It is envisaged that three different types of control measures will be presented: those based on good hygienic practice, those based on quantifiable levels of hazard control, and those based on risk assessment. The Working Group also drafted extensive risk profiles for both pathogens for use by risk managers at the national level.

The work plan spans five years and will include development of a generic risk assessment model that can be used at the national level to identify tailor-made control measures according to national risk management priorities.

Guidelines to help combat Campylobacter – News for the Poultry Industry

A comprehensive new manual on the latest biosecurity guidelines for poultry meat farmers, developed as part of NZFSA’s Campylobacter risk management strategy, is now available on the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand (PIANZ) website (www.pianz.org.nz ).

The Broiler Growing Biosecurity Manual, a joint publication from NZFSA and PIANZ, should help ensure good bird health as well as reduce levels of Campylobacter in poultry meat.

NZFSA Principal Advisor (Risk Management) Judi Lee says the manual sets out recommended minimum standards for meat chicken (broiler) production. “NZFSA and PIANZ have addressed every aspect of production including shed construction, visitor restrictions, shed entry, water supply, vermin and wild bird control, harvest and cleanout”, she says.

There is also provision for audit to ensure the standards are being met.

Preparing for exotic diseases – News for the Animal Products Industry

The project to transfer responsibility for exotic disease preparedness and response (EDPR) to NZFSA and industry is well underway.

On 1 July 2007 the responsibility for ensuring that meat (mammals) processing premises are prepared for an exotic disease outbreak was transferred from Biosecurity New Zealand to NZFSA. To effect the transition NZFSA’s Verification Agency:

• has published a number of generic EDPR plan templates to assist industry

• will be working with meat premises and hides/skins/fibre processors to ensure effective implementation of the templates

• will then move to verify these industry plans.

Substantial progress for EDPR has already been made in the dairy industry and NZFSA is working with Biosecurity New Zealand to maintain this progress.

Once the transition is complete, ongoing verification will ensure all industry EDPR plans are in place and meet standards.

NZFSA Assistant Director (Animal Products), Mary Western said: “EDPR is about preventing and containing spread of disease, identifying and controlling any at-risk product, and protecting market confidence so that disruption to trade is minimised. Progress to date is excellent and I commend all involved for their efforts on this project.”

Rules tightened around shellfish imports – News for the Seafood Industry

Norovirus infections from shellfish consumption have become more frequent, with imported shellfish often the cause. Tighter rules are needed to ensure the safety of imported shellfish.

A discussion document was circulated late last year asking for feedback on proposed changes to the Prescribed Food Standard and import requirements for bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS). This is the first time the import requirements have been reviewed since molluscs became a prescribed food in 1996. Submissions were generally supportive of NZFSA’s proposal to change the import requirements. The final amendments to the requirements reflect concerns about specific BMS products raised by submitters. Implementation is planned for 30 August.

There have been increasing numbers of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with imported BMS in the past few years. Individual action has been taken for specific cases but the current import requirements, which focus on testing at the border, cannot sufficiently protect consumer health in all cases.

NZFSA is to introduce amendments that will better manage food safety hazards associated with BMS, such as growing beds exposed to sewage and biotoxin and metal contaminants. International best practice for managing these risks is for a programme to be introduced that assesses and manages the food safety hazards associated with growing, harvesting, transporting, processing and labelling BMS.

Once in place, imports would be required to comply with or be equivalent to the New Zealand BMS standard. Consignments of BMS arriving in New Zealand will only be cleared if the exporting country has a recognised BMS programme that manages hazards in a way that meets New Zealand’s requirements.

Countries that have been exporting BMS to New Zealand and do not have a recognised programme will have 12 months from the implementation date to apply to NZFSA for assessment of their country’s BMS programme. During this transition period, countries may export BMS to New Zealand under current import requirements until their assessment is completed. After this period only countries which have applied for assessment will be able to export BMS to New Zealand, either under current import requirements where they are yet to be assessed or under agreed pre-clearance arrangement where assessment has been completed.

More details will be available on NZFSA’s website www.nzfsa.govt.nz. Countries that are currently exporting to New Zealand have been notified of the changes to the rules.

Facing up to issues in the industry – News for the Seafood Industry

One of the most extensive efforts ever undertaken in New Zealand to consult with the seafood industry about food safety regulatory issues and concerns has taken place. Now it’s time to find some answers.

Technical Coordinator for NZFSA’s Verification Agency’s, Peter Hasson, travelled the length and breadth of the country to meet with representatives from about 70 seafood companies and stakeholders. He was seconded on behalf of the Seafood Standards Council (SSC) to find out what issues the industry was facing.

Peter said: “My role was to meet business representatives and listen to their views about regulatory requirements and processes administered by NZFSA that adversely impact on their commercial seafood operations.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the seafood industry to collectively have greater input into the NZFSA improvement process. Anything that helps streamline processes and reduce costs will help the seafood industry remain competitive and stay in business.”

SSC Executive Officer, Cathy Webb says the Council launched this initiative after realising it needed more information to identify actual issues. Now these issues have been identified they can be fully discussed to see how best to address them. The overriding messages that came out of the process were that:

• communication is not always effective between all parties

• collaboration between parties is of concern

• some parts of the industry are not aware of the process for addressing issues.

The SSC and NFZSA are both committed to ensuring the actions that come out of the project will be of benefit to the industry and an issues management process is underway. “It’s important for the industry to see some payback from the project. Once clear processes are in place, industry will be able to channel any issues as they arise, and know they will be heard”, says Cathy.

RMPs provide assurance for exporters – News for the Bee Industry

Recent meetings with the bee products industry provided good forums to explain the importance of risk management programmes.

There has been a good response by the industry to register their Risk Management Programmes (RMPs), which are now required under the Animal Products Act where products need official assurances for export. “Because most businesses want to have flexibility about where they can sell their products, about 80–90% of New Zealand’s honey crop is now processed under RMPs”, says Jim Sim, NZFSA Senior Programme Manager (Animal Products). “So far, 205 RMPs have been registered for bee products processing and most should have had their first RMP verification visit by the end of June.”

When an RMP is verified, checks are done to ascertain, for example, whether:

• all chemicals on the premises are approved

• potable water checklists are completed and water supplies are safe

• all maintenance, cleaning or other records are present and complete

• there are robust inventory/stock control systems, which are important for traceability.

“RMPs are important because they identify potential hazards and associated controls”, says Jim. They ensure that risks to human or animal health are managed, that products are wholesome and are not labelled in a false or misleading way.

And they are necessary for secondary producers who require official assurances for exporting. Exporters also need to ensure their products strictly comply with market access requirements for countries that have specific requirements. They must have additional documented systems and records to meet export certification overseas country export requirements. For some countries this includes being on a country-specific list as a well as being on the RMP register.

Having compliant documentation in place can assist exporters if traceability becomes an issue. For instance an offshore market may suspect fraudulent labelling of a product implying it originated from a New Zealand exporter with an official assurance. The exporter will need validated documentation to prove whether or not the product originated from them.

Such proof is particularly important if a falsely labelled product tests positive for unapproved chemicals. New Zealand’s reputation for supplying safe food could be severely damaged as well as the industry’s reputation.

NZFSA stands alone – News for Exporters

On 1 July 2007 NZFSA became a new Public Service department, separate from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).

The new department will retain the same name – New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) – and will continue to protect and promote public health and safety in relation to food and food-related products, and to develop economic opportunities by facilitating access to international markets for these products.

The functions that will transfer from MAF to NZFSA are those that relate to the administration of the Food Act 1981, the Animal Products Act 1999 (except in relation to live animals and germplasm), the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 and the Wine Act 2004.

The changeover will entail some changes to documents, permits, declarations and certificates that have previously included the MAF logo or words ‘MAF’ or ‘Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’. Where such documentation is administered solely by NZFSA it will now refer to NZFSA or the New Zealand Food Safety Authority. NZFSA’s logo cannot be used in any form unless expressly permitted in writing by NZFSA. As from 1 July it will be a protected device under the Flags and Emblems Act.

In some cases, such as approved Food Safety Programmes or Risk Management Programmes documents may say ‘NZFSA-approved’ or similar.

All documentation currently containing the words MAF or Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which needs to be changed to either NZFSA or New Zealand Food Safety Authority, should be amended as soon as possible, although there is no official timeframe to have it done by.

Dairy export markets opening up – News for the Dairy Industry

The New Zealand Government is reviewing the future allocations of rights to regulated dairy export markets.

Under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001 (DIRA), the New Zealand Dairy Board was allocated exclusive export rights to certain regulated markets as an interim measure. The initial rights expire progressively from July 2007 and then revert to the Crown.

Currently there are five regulated markets (Dominican Republic, Canada, United States of America, Japan, and the European Communities) concerning a number of commodities.

The Amendment Bill to the DIRA proposes allowing the reallocation of these rights to approved dairy exporters.

The proposal is that when the current allocations expire, export restrictions will be removed for:

• butter to Canada (both in and out of quota)

• those parts of the US market for cheddar, NSPF and American-type cheese where New Zealand cannot designate the importer(s)

• all out-of-quota trade to the US cheese markets

• cheese to Japan.

Any registered dairy exporter will have the opportunity to access these markets when export restrictions are removed (at the end of the exclusive allocation period).

In addition, licences will be allocated to multiple exporters for:

• milk powder to the Dominican Republic

• cheddar cheese and cheese for processing, and butter to the EU

• low-fat cheese to the US

• those parts of the US market for cheddar, NSPF and American-type cheese where New Zealand can designate the importer(s)

• prepared edible fat (PEF) to Japan.

For these markets, export licences will be allocated to companies on the basis of percentage of milk solids collected directly from dairy farmers in New Zealand in one season or the average of two seasons (down to a minimum threshold of 0.1% of total milk solids collected). The minimum volume allocated will be equivalent to 20 tonnes of product.

During the transition period 2007–09 inclusive (applying to quota years beginning in 2008 to 2010 inclusive), export licences will be allocated for one quota year at a time. Following the transition period, export licences will be allocated for three quota years at a time.

Exporters will only be able to trade ‘over-quota’ (over the normal tariff) after the quota is filled in each quota year for:

• milk powder to the Dominican Republic

• prepared edible fat (PEF) to Japan.

Export licences will be able to be traded between registered dairy exporters, in minimum lots equivalent to 20 tonnes of product. Any dairy exporter registered under the Animal Products Act will be eligible to own export licences, but only those that meet certain criteria (see above) will be eligible to receive an allocation of licences from the Government.

NZFSA will manage the certification and enforcement requirements of the quota system. Although NZFSA already has a system for certification and enforcement of dairy exports under the Animal Products Act 1999, some legislative changes will be needed to accommodate the proposed allocation system. Significant changes to the existing European Union inward monitoring arrangement (IMA) E-cert system will also be necessary.

Additional systems are being developed by NZFSA to:

• maintain the register of quota licence holders

• certify export volumes and compliance with quota specifications

• reconcile export volumes against quota entitlements for each licensee

• restrict use of export certifications for over-quota trade for the markets for PEF to Japan and milk powder to the Dominican Republic.

These systems are expected to roll out by the end of 2007 to allow integration of the certification and enforcement of the regulated dairy quota markets for the EU, Japan and the Dominican Republic to multiple exporters.

Further information about the proposed allocation mechanism and compliance systems will be provided over the coming months.

Expiry periods for rights to designated markets and proposed new systems

Market	Product	Expiry date	Proposed new system at expiry
Dominican Republic	milk powder	30 June 2007 (extended to 31 December 2007)	Allocate licences to eligible participants
Canada	butter	31 July 2007 (extended to 31 December 2007)	Remove export restrictions
European Communities	butter and cheeses	31 December 2007 (25% of rights)	Allocate licences to eligible participants
European Communities	butter and cheeses	31 December 2008 (another 25% of rights)	Allocate licences to eligible participants
USA	cheddar cheese and low-fat cheese	31 December 2008	Remove some export restrictions; and allocate some licences to eligible participants
USA	NSPF cheese and American-type cheeses	31 December 2009	Remove some export restrictions; and allocate some licences to eligible participants
European Communities	butter and cheeses	31 December 2009, (another 25% of rights)	Licences allocated to eligible participants
Japan	Prepared edible fat	31 March 2010	Licences allocated to eligible participants
Japan	cheese	31 March 2010	Remove export restrictions
European Communities	butter and cheeses	31 December 2010 (another 25% of rights)	Licences allocated to eligible participants

Wine standards management plan development underway – News for the Wine Industry

The implementation of the Wine Act 2003 is gaining momentum – the wine standards are in place and Codes of Practice are well underway.

New Zealand Winegrowers and NZFSA, in conjunction with a grape wine industry working group, have drafted a Code of Practice (CoP) for grape winemakers to use as part of their wine standards management plan.

A CoP will greatly reduce the time and cost for winemakers when developing and registering their wine standards management plan. The wine CoP has been designed with small wineries in mind and is flexible enough to cater for the range of activities undertaken, and technology used, by small wineries.

The Category 1 (and one Category 2) wineries that reviewed the draft CoP made several suggestions for improvement. The draft will be reviewed by some more Category 1 wineries before being finalised and made available to all wineries later this year.

NZFSA has also undertaken preliminary work on wine standards management plans for making fruit wine, cider and mead. NZFSA has drafted the HACCP component for this sector, which will also be used to develop the accompanying CoP.

All Codes of Practice and information and guidance on wine standards management plans will be available later this year. There will be workshops in each major wine region on using and applying the CoP, and how to put together and register a wine standards management plan.

To meet the 1 December 2008 registration deadline, winemakers should submit their wine standards management plans to NZFSA by 1 September 2008.

Food into the Future – NZFSA Update

NZFSA’s annual conference has Food into the Future as the theme. It will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s innovative food sector as it positions it self to deal with the significant growth expected over the next 20 years.

Keynote speakers have been invited from the United States, Canada and Europe, as well as guest speakers and panelists from the New Zealand food industry, academia and other regulators.

As work on drafting the new Food Bill legislation continues, NZFSA will offer updates on this and other key regulatory reviews including imported food and wild food reviews, as well as progress reports on strategic initiatives such as the Campylobacter risk management strategy.

Delegates can attend various workshops over the two days, which will take a more focused view of NZFSA’s work around regulatory implementation, science-based research and decision making, and communicating in a crisis.

Full programme details are available on our website (www.nzfsa.govt.nz) as is the registration form. This can be downloaded and faxed to our Wellington office: 04 894 2501.

There will also be limited opportunities for relevant trade displays, and organisations and researchers are also invited to provide posters for display during the conference. (You do not need to be attending to do so.)

For more information about registration, trade space or poster display, phone Gill Wilson on 04 894 2539 or email Gill.Wilson@nzfsa.govt.nz.

NZFSA Conference 2007

26–27 September 2007, Duxton Hotel, Wellington

Market Access News

Israel – New certification has been agreed for hides and skins to Israel, resulting in the new export of calf and ostrich skins.

United States – US Food Safety and Inspection Service auditor, Dr Alex Lauro, completed his audit of the New Zealand meat programme with an exit meeting with NZFSA on Thursday 31 May, 2007. The overall outcome was very good.

During a visit to Washington in May significant progress was made on the negotiation of a new reciprocal equivalence arrangement covering all seafood and shellfish imports and exports between the two countries.

Canada – A visit to Ottawa by the Executive Director and senior NZFSA staff has resulted in mutual commitment by the Canadian Food Safety Inspection Agency (CFSIA) and NZFSA to develop a comprehensive interagency equivalence arrangement.

Middle East – The visit to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) in May 2007 by two NZFSA market access officials, one MAF Policy official, and the MFAT Deputy Head of Mission in Riyadh, was successful. It provided insights into the countries’ expectations for the upcoming Free Trade Agreement SPS negotiations and also provided an opportunity to meet regulators and discuss current market access issues.

Mexico – Two NZFSA personnel travelled to Mexico in mid-June to initiate negotiations of a comprehensive SPS (Sanitary & Phyto Sanitary Agreement) Memorandum of Understanding with the Mexican authorities and promote E-cert with the relevant competent authorities.