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2008 Conference Update
Ideas Ideas Ideas
Do you have any ideas for speakers, topics or activities that we could add to our conference this year?
In the coming weeks the shaping of our annual conference will begin to take on some real momentum. Registration information will be published and details of the Trade Display will also be available.
Please help us to make this conference an event that will provide maximum benefits for attendees by sending in your ideas.
All suggestions welcome!
IIR Centenary Day
Day 3 of the conference this year is featuring a Technical Day which is being organised by the NZ National Committee of the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR). The focus of this day is refrigeration into the future.
The morning programme will include 2 sessions with 3 strands of technical papers. The afternnon will then include 2 plenary sessions with high profile primary industry speakers. These speakers have been asked to review their industries with a view to the future and where they think refrigeration technolgoy will fit in to these futures.
Following this, a public lecture is planned leading into a celebratory dinner at Te Papa's fabulous Te Marae.
Sponsors - Get Your Conference Profile Up & Running Now!
If your company has plans to provide sponsorship of this year's annual conference, then get your profile onto the website now.
By making a commitment to sponsorship now, your logos can be published on the Conference Page of the website and in all future Newsletters and other conference material leading up to the conference.
Contact Rachel Harvie to make your arrangements.
Cost Effective Refrigeration Workshop
September, Palmerston North
This highly successful workshop is scheduled for 1 - 5 September at Massey University.
This course is only held once a year and is essential for anyone working with refrigeration equipment and processes.
Download more information about the course content and registration here.
E-cert Update
Delayed Transition to XML
E-cert users who submit batch files need to transition from proprietary batch file format to XML batch file format.
The deadline for this transition was to be September 2008 but has now been extended to at least December 2008.
The reason for this extension is to allow users more time to transition, given a delay in the availability of a “translation tool” to assist users to translate existing batch files into XML format batch files.
The SOAP2 release will provide the translation tool. This release was originally scheduled for June but has now been delayed until August.
Currently the Data View button returns a full XML file – that requires substantial editing to be suitable for submission. After the SOAP2 release, the Data View button will return an XML file suitable for on-line submission.
The E-cert Help files will be updated in June to include typical examples of XML format batch files http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/ecert/animal-products/tutorials/help-files/index.htm
Other Key Points from May E-cert Steering Group Meeting
Although many countries have accepted NZ's E-cert system, complete removal of paper copies of certificates is likely to take some time due to the need for countries to change their own laws and allow for electronic exchange of official assurances.
The SOAP2 release (due in August) will allow for non auto-approved EDs to be forwarded using auto approval. This will mainly affect seafood users but could also assist cold store users handling seafood products. For information about gaining auto-approval status, contact Rachel Harvie.
Work will be progressed over the next 12 months to rationalise e-cert so that AP (meat, seafood, etc) and Dairy will operate from the same system. This should provide many benefits for multi-product cold store operators.
Funding Available for VSD Installation
ARNEG / ELECTRICTY COMMISSION working to bring Energy Saving Technology to the Commercial / Industrial refrigeration sector
Arneg New Zealand Ltd (a new member of the Association) with funding support from the Electricity Commission, is currently running an electricity efficiency program based on the installation of energy efficient equipment in commercial & industrial refrigeration systems.
With refrigeration accounting for up to 50% of typical commercial end-users total energy consumption, Arneg New Zealand in a joint venture partnership with Schneider Electrical and with the Electricity Commission’s funding support, are looking to offer end-users affordable Variable Speed Drives (VSD’s) on their compressors and condensers. Part of the program is also dedicated to offering timers on electrical defrost elements which will reduce the overall consumption of their refrigeration systems.
The funding support will help ensure this energy saving technology is more attractive and accessible to commercial and industrial refrigeration end users. The return on investment can be as low as 1.5 years, based on energy savings relative to each site.
A specialist in Natural Refrigeration, Arneg New Zealand is always looking to offer the highest quality in energy conservation and environmental friendliness.
If you’re interested in learning more about the process involved in determining whether your business is eligible to receive this subsidy and in how the energy savings program will greatly benefit your business, please contact:
Vince Audino
P.O. Box 13804,
Onehunga
Auckland
09-276-3287 vince.audino@arneg.co.nz
Container Seals
NZFSA Technical Brief 08/10
The requirements for the management of NZFSA approved container seals are prescribed in the Animal Products - Official Devices: NZFSA Container Seals Animal Products (Export Requirements for Branding, Marking and Security Devices) Notice 2006, Animal Products (Export Requirements for Branding, Marking and Security Devices) Notice 2006, Animal Products - Official Devices Programme: Interim Requirements, and Guidance for Operator Seal use and Manual 15 – Inspection Legend Material – Container Seals.
As of the 09/06/2008 at 9.00 a.m. Only NZFSA alpha identified container seals will be used for consignments exported with official assurances.
As of the 31/07/2008 at 5.00 p.m. All NZFSA approved container seals with a MAF alpha identifier are to be destroyed (preferably before this stated point in time):
Tyden seals are to be cut in half.
Ardee/bolt/clicker seals, both halves of the seal are to be pushed together until connected as one, and then checked to ensure the connection is sound.
In addition NZFSA VA and operators should also review the control measures they have in place to ensure only NZFSA approved container seals with the NZFSA alpha identifier are able to be used.
Background:
The alpha identifier on NZFSA approved container seals (tyden seals and ardee/bolt/container seals) has changed from MAF to NZFSA.
In order to eliminate the potential future risk, where official assurances are generated and MAF alpha identified container seals are used on an export container supported by an official assurance – all MAF alpha identified container seals (tyden and ardee/bolt/clicker seals) are to be destroyed.
NZFSA VA verifiers are to notify all RMP, RCS, EAP, exporters or any other type of operator whom NZFSA approved container seals may have been issued to of this recall and destruction direction. NZFSA VA verifiers are to arrange for the collection and destruction of all NZFSA approved container seals with a MAF alpha identifier before the 31/07/2008.
All stocks of NZFSA approved container seals with a MAF alpha identifier which are stored for issue (NZFSA bulk storage facilities, circuit offices, full time premises, in the back of NZFSA VA vehicles and all other locations) are to be destroyed before the 31/07/2008.
VA stopped ordering NZMAF seals in mid 2007, and this format remained legal in order to facilitate using up as many of these seals as possible before a change to the exclusive use of NZFSA was implemented.
Note: The 09/06/2008 is the date when only NZFSA alpha identified container seals will be used for consignments exported with official assurances. The second date (31/07/2008) is to allow some time for the collection of all MAF alpha identified container seals and their destruction.
This notice does not apply to official devices applied to live animal and germplasm.
References: - Animal Products - Official Devices: NZFSA Container Seals Animal Products (Export Requirements for Branding, Marking and Security Devices) Notice 2006
- Animal Products (Export Requirements for Branding, Marking and Security Devices) Notice 2006
- Animal Products - Official Devices Programme: Interim Requirements, and Guidance for Operator Seal use.
- Manual 15: Approvals Brands – Inspection Legend Material – Container Seals
New Standards for Food Importers
Submissions sought on Discussion Paper
As part of the new Food Regime, a new approach to imported food control is being proposed by NZFSA. This approach and the initial new standards proposed for food importers are covered in the discussion document available from the NZFSA website (see below).
The future imported food regulatory regime will differ from the current regime in that there is a shift away from reliance on testing a small number of identified foods at the New Zealand border to ensure imported food is safe and suitable. This system of ‘stand-alone’ sampling and testing at the border will be replaced by a system that assesses and recognises controls in place in the exporting country where the food has been produced to an equivalent level of safety as food produced in New Zealand. The current regime focuses heavily on a list of "high risk" foods, with little monitoring of other imported foods. with little monitoring of other imported foods.
A range of standards relating to food importers have been proposed in the discussion document. They include:
- All food importers will be required to be listed with NZFSA.
- Importers must take responsibility for ensuring that all legislation has been complied with when importing food.
- Importers must also ensure that storage and transport for imported food is suitable and protects food from any risk of contamination.
- Records will be required to be kept for imported food and kept for 4 years.
Other Imported Food Review changes NZFSA intends to implement under the current Food Act are: introduction of a Scanning List, which will allow NZFSA to gather additional information on hazards in foods in order to better respond to emerging issues and inform decision-making on new standards; categorise imported foods into one of three regulatory interest categories (high, medium and low according to food safety risk and other factors); and then review standards for foods/hazards in light of the category in which they have been placed and the principles applying to that category.
If you are interested in making a submission on this discussion paper, refer to the following website:
www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consultation/imported-food-requirements/index.htm
It is likely that the Cold Storage Association will make a submission, so any comments could also be forwarded to Rachel Harvie for inclusion.
Harmonised RMP Specifications
For some time NZFSA have been working to harmonise the specifications for risk management programmes across all animal products - including meat, seafood and dairy.
The following message has just bee received from Judy Barker of NZFSA:
"The harmonised risk management programme specifications have now been signed and will come into effect on 1 July 2008.
The content of original two risk management programme specifications that applied to dairy and other animal products has been harmonised. Due to legal constraints, the harmonised requirements are now contained within two specifications and a policy statement. These are entitled:
Animal Products (Risk Management Programme Specifications) Notice 2008
Animal Products (Requirements for Risk Management Programme Outlines) Notice 2008
Statement of Policy: Operator Responsibilities during Registration of a Risk Management Programme (Version 1)
The original RMP specifications will remain in force until 1 December 2008. Operators may use the original or the new specifications when developing new programmes or significantly amending existing programmes (but not a combination of new and old). After 1 December 2008 these programmes must meet the requirements of the new specifications.
Existing operators will have until 1 August 2009 to amend their RMP to meet the new specifications. This is considered a minor amendment. Changes to the existing RMP resulting from this minor amendment will be checked at the next scheduled verification post 1 August 2009.
The new specifications and policy statement will be posted on the NZFSA website as soon as possible."
RWTA Conference Update
Registrations are now open for the RWTA Conference being held in the Hunter Valley in August/September.
The planned speaker list is being drawn from many areas, including the following organisations or topics: - Woolworths
- Coles
- Linfox
- Price Waterhouse Coopers
- Marketing Focus-Retail Supply Chain interface
- Temperature Tracking
- Cold Store operation in USA
- NSW Fire Brigade on NZ Cold Store Fire and lessons to be learnt
- NTC on National Fatigue Regulations
- Chain of Responsibility
- Environmental issues/carbon trading
- OH & S
- Sports identity
For more information go to www.rwta.com.au
Your Feedback
Your feedback on any of the matters raised in this Newsletter are welcome. Also, please contact me if you need more information.
Best Regards
Rachel Harvie
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