The Food Safety Systems Recognition Arrangement was signed at a meeting in Washington DC by delegations from the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the FDA.
“The is momentous for MPI as it is the first time the FDA has recognised another country’s food safety system as comparable as its own,” said MPI deputy director general for standards, Carol Barnao.
Strengthening safety
In reply, FDA’s deputy commissioner for food, Michael R. Taylor, said: “The arrangement for New Zealand is part of an overall strategy for strengthening the global food safety net through closer collaboration with regulators around the world, highlighted in the FDA’s report Pathway to Global Product Safety and Quality.”
Barnao said that both countries had done a great deal of work ahead of the agreement: “This process has included a comprehensive review of each country’s relevant laws and regulations, inspection programmes, response to food-related illness and outbreaks, compliance and enforcement, and laboratory support.”
Over the course of a year, both teams of officials spent an intensive period of time together, including visiting production plants, cold store facilities, verifiers and accreditation authorities. Together, they looked at the effectiveness of how each other’s preventative controls and verification systems worked.
Removing burdens
Both countries intend to use the agreement to lessen the potential regulatory burden for foods traded between the two by removing unnecessary duplication of activities.
“Systems recognition agreements are very important for MPI to help us achieve on of our key strategic goals of maximising export opportunities through other countries’ recognition of the credibility of our food safety controls,” Barnao explained.
Editor's note: Do you expect this agreement help your food business? Let us know in the comments below.