HACCP Policy

The New Zealand Seafood Industry operates under a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) based system that includes documentation of all processing steps and product handling. Government verification of product safety, truth in labelling and fitness for purpose is maintained from the fishing boat to the export container. This system is further reinforced under the Animal Products Act 1999 with the introduction of the concept of the Risk Management System (RMP), which includes mandating the principles of HACCP. Both HACCP and RMP's have similar mechanisms.

The Industry designs its programs, validates the results, & presents the documentation to an independent evaluator for `recognition of validity', after which the program operates on an ongoing basis. The verifier (MAF VA) confirms that the approved program is operated as described. This verification is at a level appropriate to the overall standard of performance of that particular company under a Performance Based Verification regime (PBV), were companies that perform in a satisfactory way, receive progressively less verification visits by MAF VA until a ceiling of 1 visit every 6 months. (Simunovich was the 1st company in the country to achieve this level)

The Compliance and QUALITY Manual

The manual is an "active document" - not a folder gathering dust on a shelf. If there is a better way to do something in the area of Compliance and Quality the part of the manual that deals with this area is changed so the manual is always "up with the play" and current.

For both the internal and the external audit of the Compliance and Quality Programme, the Manual is the reference point: