Services to the Apiculture (Beekeeping) Industry
Our team of specialists provide quality assurance and management services to apiculture industries throughout the Southern Hemisphere. Diagnostic and research laboratories back up these field services.
Services to the Apiculture Industry
- Auditing of Risk Management and Food Safety Programmes
- Auditing of beehives to pollination standards
- Collection of samples for National Honey Residue Testing Programme
- Introducing apiculture technology to international markets
- Biosecurity surveillance and response
- Organic certification
- Disease control and the Apiary Register
- Verification of bee products and live bees for export
- RMP Training
- Tutin Testing
Bee Products Risk Management Plan
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is responsible for negotiating bee product trade conditions. Legislation for the provision of export certification is provided for under the Animal Products Act 1999. Under this act, if an importing country requires official government certification, this is termed an official assurance and can only be issued by an authorised person employed by NZFSA. Bee products are defined in this Act as animal products and if official certification is required by an importing country, then this must be in the format of an official assurance.
To be eligible for an official assurance (export certificate), secondary processors (i.e. those who extract, process, pack or store bee products) must have a Risk Management Plan (RMP) registered in accordance with the Animal Products Act 1999. NZFSA has published the Bee Code of Practice. The requirement for verification of Bee Products RMP includes ‘recognised persons’ under the management of a ‘recognised verifying agency’ to provide verification functions. In many situations this verification function also underpins the official assurance programme for the export of bee products.
Tutin Testing
On 25th January 2009 New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) introduced new regulations which aim to prevent Tutin contaminated honey reaching consumers.Testing of honey for Tutin prior to packing is one of the measures that you can apply to meet the new standards.
AsureQuality has developed new testing methods which can monitor the Tutin levels in honey and is now offering this test to the apiary industry for both honey and comb honey. Read more...
Related Content
Verification & Certification
Our team of specialists provides quality assurance services to apiculture industries throughout New Zealand ensuring your bee products comply with food safety and export standards. Read more...
Biosecurity
As MAF's delivery arm we have a long history of providing biosecurity services to the apiculture (beekeeping) industry in New Zealand. Biosecurity services involve both surveying for an exotic bee disease as well as developing capability and responding to incursions. Read more...
International Services
AsureQuality is experienced in bringing New Zealand's progressive apiculture (beekeeping) technology to international markets. Our staff offer customised projects designed to meet individual needs and are tailored to suit particular local geographical, climatic, gender or cultural environments. Read more...
Apiary Register
It is a legal requirement1 in New Zealand for all beekeepers and the location of their apiaries to be registered. We maintain an apiary database on behalf of the Management Agency for the American Foulbrood Strategy. The database contains information on over 2700 beekeepers, 21,700 apiaries and 368,000 hives. Read more...
Tutin Testing
On 25th January 2009 New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) introduced new regulations which aim to prevent Tutin contaminated honey reaching consumers.Testing of honey for Tutin prior to packing is one of the measures that you can apply to meet the new standards.
AsureQuality has developed new testing methods which can monitor the Tutin levels in honey and is now offering this test to the apiary industry for both honey and comb honey. Read more...
