The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is one of the two main government agencies involved in exporting. The other is the New Zealand Customs Service – to get the right permits, e-certificates and documents to export, you must meet New Zealand Customs requirements. It’s compulsory to declare all exports to Customs. As an exporter you need to comply with rules both in New Zealand, and from the country you’re exporting to.
“At Taranaki Bio Extracts (TBE) we are exporting primary industry goods by way of animal products, and human grade food – these items come from two separate production facilities. This means we operate under the supervision of MPI, and must adhere to an MPI approved Risk Management Programme (RMP),” says Dr Mike North, Plant Manager, Taranaki Bio Extracts.
RMPs are part of a New Zealand-wide, government regulated system that ensures all food ingredients and products meet the highest food safety and export standards. It allows Taranaki Bio Extracts to be listed to export to specific markets, as long as they can demonstrate that they are meeting certain Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARS)
“Together with our customers we consider all the international legalities on compliance and OMARs,” says Dr Mike North.
What is Taranaki Bio Extracts’ RMP (Risk Management Programme)?
Their RMP is a written document that shows how Taranaki Bio Extracts meets its’ food safety requirements. It is made up of a set of procedures that describe:
- how they have identified hazards associated with their products and processes
- how they will control the hazards
- the monitoring and record-keeping they will do
- what they need to do if something goes wrong.
“Our Risk Management Programme is HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) based, which is the USDA CFR117 part C requirement. We also meet packaging requirements specified in CFR 170-199,” says Dr Mike North.
What is HACCP?
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is an internationally recognised system used to identify and manage significant food safety hazards, and ensure food safety for the business. HACCP can be used throughout all stages of the food chain, from primary production to final consumption, providing an important part of risk-based food safety programmes.
Requirements for HACCP Application
Applying HACCP is mandatory as part of operating a risk-based programme, such as a Food Control Plan under the Food Act 2014, or an RMP under the Animal Products Act 1999.
“New Zealand’s reputation for producing exceptional high-quality food is key to our exporting success and due to our adherence to systems such as RMP and HACCP,” says Dr Mike North.
MPI (Ministry Primary Industries) helps exporters meet the standards demanded by consumers in over 200 global markets.
USDA and FDA Approved
Taranaki Bio Extracts is USDA and FDA approved, and listed, which is a requirement for the US market.
“We are proud to consistently meet the highest grade, being audited quarterly for our listing. We can provide FSIS-approved US label claims to support the quality of our customers’ products” says Dr Mike North.
Halal Certification
Taranaki Bio Extracts’ Halal certification reflects strong food safety criteria and supports health and sanitary practices as reflected in their RMP. They require a Halal license from suppliers, and a separate independent audit confirms their Halal status.
A Robust Process
“We pride ourselves on a robust process to support our success in export markets – we have an excellent track record for independent audit results. Routine microbiological and compositional testing is carried out by independently audited laboratories that meet international standards,” says Dr Mike North.
Thanks to Ministry for Primary Industries | NZ Government (mpi.govt.nz) for key information in this article;