Application for the Reassessment of a Hazardous Substance under ...

processed and stored. It employs veterinarians to inspect animals, ensure animalwelfare protocols are followed and provides export certification to the products.44. NZFSA VA verifies that meat, seafood and other animal products and by-productsmeet both the New Zealand standards and additional standards of importingcountries.Monitoring of the food chain by NZFSA45. The aim of monitoring by NZFSA is to gather and analyse data on the level ofcontrol of specific hazards throughout the food chain and combine this with humanhealth surveillance data to determine the effectiveness of regulatory activities. Thismay be carried out ahead of implementation of control measures so as to establishbaseline levels or it may follow their implementation. Monitoring programmescarried out by NZFSA include.National Microbiological Database for systematic and ongoing monitoring ofpremises slaughtering cattle, sheep, deer, goats, poultry and ostriches.Food Residue Surveillance Programme for compliance with chemical foodsafety standards across a wide range of foods.Total Diet Survey for evaluating the level of exposure of the New Zealandpopulation to chemicals in the food supply.National Residue Monitoring Programme for providing food safety assuranceson all animal products, including farmed and wild animals, fish and honey.NZFSA role in trade46. Government policy for food safety is developed from a New Zealand perspective, butit is influenced by international and bilateral obligations as well. These externalfactors include agreements and treaties between New Zealand and particularcountries to facilitate trade, harmonise assurance and compliance activities, andfacilitate the movement of people and goods. They also include multinationalstandards established by organisations such as the World Health Organization(WHO), Office International de Epizooties (OIE), World Trade Organization (WTO),and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).47. Much of the work done by NZFSA involves negotiations with New Zealand‘s tradingpartners and plays a key role in gaining market access for New Zealand products.NZFSA works to secure market access at various levels. For example, at themultilateral level, NZFSA works with a number of international bodies. Some ofthese are:Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international body set up under theauspices of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) andWHO) and charged with developing a global food code. It develops foodstandards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the JointFAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The main purposes of this Programmeare protecting health of the consumers and ensuring fair practices in the foodtrade, and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken byinternational governmental and non-governmental organisations.Organisation Mondiale de la Santé Animale (OIE), whose focus is the reductionof food borne risks to human health due to hazards arising from animalproduction. NZFSA is represented on the permanent Working Group on AnimalDichlorvos reassessment – application Page 429 of 436