Animal and Product Assurance

Strategic Objective Market access protected to all significant commercial markets with risk and evidentially based compliance requirements that ensure food safety and security, no technical barriers to trade and minimal compliance costs

This objective relates to animal and product assurance related initiatives undertaken in relation to matters such as:
- Animal identification and traceability
- Animal welfare
- Biosecurity; including surveillance and incursion response and disease management (including control of tuberculosis)
- Bioterrorism, supply chain and food security
- Quota allocation and management
- International organisations whose standards and policies impact on trade in animal products
               - Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
               - Office International des Epizooties (OIE)
               - World Trade Organisation (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement
               - International Meat Secretariat
               - UN/ECE
- Food safety and product fitness for purpose
- Biological contaminants
- Residues
- Electronic certification

Issues

Governments and consumers are becoming increasingly aware of and sensitive to issues which are either a real or perceived threat to the health and wellbeing of consumers, as evidenced by the suspension of market access following the discovery of BSE, (for example in the United States), FMD in South America and the discovery of residues above maximum allowable levels in New Zealand product exported to Korea.  The New Zealand government has recently issued a policy statement on meat inspection which could preclude competition for those services.

Greater than ever importance is being placed on whole of life traceability of livestock, which will also be a critical part of an incursion response and disease control programmes. Robust, internationally credible, surveillance and incursion response programmes are essential to ensuring that New Zealand's competitive advantage as a country free of all serious diseases of animals is preserved.

Increasing attention is being paid to animal welfare issues with many governments, including New Zealand, reviewing welfare standards, including the standards for animals destined for commercial slaughter.  Bio-terrorism, supply chain and food security are emerging as significant issues.  Many countries are introducing supply chain security initiatives which will increasingly become standard compliance requirements in order to allow efficient international trade to continue.

The enviable overseas reputation of 'New Zealand Inc' has a significant unfortunate consequence - the extent to which New Zealand is targetted by counterfeiters.  Internationally the trend towards paperless certification continues to gain traction as more countries secure reliable internet access and awareness grows of the pivotal role our E-cert system plays in the prevention of fraud, particularly among countries that do not currently subscribe to the system.

Key Priorities for 2007/2008

Ensure that the New Zealand government's policy statement on meat inspection does not conflict with industry's commitment to the process of devolution of 'meat inspection' tasks in accordance with evolving international standards and ensuring that checks and balances on Asure's monopoly position are maintained. Ideally these checks and balances should be maintained through real and actual competition, but failing this, options for regulatory supervision must be explored.

Actively encourage government initiatives to have the USA revise its BSE-related import rules to reflect New Zealand's BSE free status, to eliminate costly additional procedures and enable a trading environment for gel bone to be re-established.

Support NZ/EC and NZ/USDA negotiations regarding flexibility of deployment of veterinary presence, alternative approaches to ovine inspection and certainty of market access and certification in the event of an exotic disease incursion.

Formalise the Ad Hoc Strategic Steering Committee with NZFSA as a formal sub-group of the MIA Council, revisit its terms of reference, review the priority list of issues to be incorporated in the review of the NZFSA Animal Products Strategic Direction and monitor the implementation of this Direction to verify NZFSA are implementing the MIA Council endorsed direction including regular cost: benefit reporting on each of the issues.

Support the Biosecurity Strategy and represent industry position throughout the implementation phase and development of partnerships and safeguards that protect New Zealand's biosecurity status and appropriately reflect industry's contribution.  Ensure reliable communication channels between government and industry are developed to ensure timely involvement in an exotic disease and pest response.  Work with officials to mitigate the risks to market access should an exotic disease event or some other emergency occur.

Co-ordinate industry position on animal welfare requirements and ensure the international risks associated with New Zealand's animal welfare direction are adequately considered.