Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognised certificates for clearance of frozen berries

The first step is to assess whether your overseas manufacturers of RTE frozen berries are GFSI-recognised. 

Are they operating under a food safety management system?

You will need to check that they are operating under a food safety management system that includes the following: 

• an organisational structure that identifies key management and operational roles and clearly defines responsibilities
• a defined scope that covers products, processes and manufacturing sites relevant to the manufacture of frozen berries that are exported to New Zealand
• a HACCP plan, which identifies significant hazards, including norovirus and hepatitis A virus, and their controls
• control measures for preventing or minimising contamination of frozen berries by microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards, based on good hygiene practices that are consistent with the Codex Alimentarius Commission General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969)
• product specifications that address food safety requirements of the countries that frozen berries are exported to, including New Zealand
• procedures for the evaluation, approval and monitoring of raw material suppliers, including suppliers of fresh berries, that ensure that fresh berries are sourced only from growers and packers that:
  • have a food safety system(s) in place that meets the requirements in the Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale section 7.4.2 (2) [PDF, 448 KB]
  • can demonstrate effective implementation of the food safety system, based on audits undertaken at least annually by an experienced and competent person knowledgeable of applicable food safety and regulatory requirements
• procedures for maintaining traceability of raw materials and end products
• procedures for withdrawal and recall of products, including prompt notification of customers and relevant regulatory authorities
• procedures for training of personnel and the maintenance of competencies relevant to the effective implementation of the food safety management system
• procedures for document control and record keeping
• procedures for monitoring and verification of conformance to established procedures, specifications and other requirements, and corrective actions for non-conformances, including the control of non-conforming products to prevent potentially unsafe products from entering the food chain.

 Is that food safety system GFSI-recognised?

If their food safety system is GFSI-recognised, they will be regularly audited by a third-party auditor who will assess their food safety management system against a recognised food safety scheme. They will be issued a GFSI-recognised certificate which shows the standard they meet and the scope of their operations.

If they are not operating under a GFSI-recognised food safety management system, then you will not be able to import ready-to-eat frozen berries from them.

For each overseas manufacturer you plan to import ready-to-eat frozen berries from, you will need to get:

• a copy of their GFSI-recognised certificate
• a manufacturer's declaration to accompany the certificate

What the GFSI-recognised certificate must contain

• The name and address of the manufacturer’s business.
• The certificate number.
• The name and version of the certification programme the manufacturer’s food safety programme has been audited against.
• The certificate’s issue date and expiration date.
• The types of food and activities covered by the certificate, showing the manufacture of frozen berries is within the scope.
• The name of the accreditation body and certifying body.
• The name and position of the person issuing the certificate.

The certificate must be able to be checked through a web-accessible database to confirm authenticity and currency.

The certificate must be accompanied by a manufacturer’s declaration

The manufacturer's declaration must meet the following:

• is a manufacturing company’s letterheaded document issued by a person authorised to act on behalf of the manufacturer. 
• contains the following information:
  • the date of issue
  • the name, job title, signature, and contact details of the authorising person
  • the name and address of the manufacturing company
  • a description of the product that the manufacturer’s declaration applies to, including the brand and product names (this will determine what can be imported)
• contains declaration statements confirming that the manufacturer sources fresh berries used in the manufacture of frozen berries only from growers and packers that:
  • also hold a GFSI-recognised certificate that covers the relevant primary production and post-harvest processing activities, or
  • operates under an appropriate food safety management system that is checked at least annually by the manufacturer.

A template manufacturer’s declaration can be found below, as well as a completed example. Your overseas manufacturer does not need to use this template, but their manufacturer’s declaration must meet the requirements as listed above.

Template - Manufacturers declaration for overseas manufacturers of ready-to-eat frozen berries [DOCX, 38 KB]

Example - Manufacturers declaration for overseas manufacturers of ready-to-eat frozen berries [PDF, 233 KB]

You must submit a GFSI-recognised certificate and an accompanying manufacturer's declaration from the manufacturer to MPI for checking before you import from them.

Imports from unchecked overseas manufacturers will not receive clearance at the border.

How to submit your documents

1. Gather the necessary documentation

For each overseas manufacturer you need checked, you'll need a copy of their latest GFSI-recognised certificate (this must be within its expiry date).

You'll also need a manufacturer’s declaration issued by the overseas manufacturer. The issue date should be in-line with the current GFSI-recognised certificate validity period.

See Step 2 on this page for more information on these documents

2. Complete the online form

• Complete all sections of the form.
• You can apply to have multiple overseas manufacturers checked with one form.
• Make payment – your application won’t be processed until the fee has been paid.

Application form – Check of GFSI-recognised certificates 

It may take up to 20 working days to process your application. If you haven’t provided all necessary documentation and paid the fee, it may take longer.

Once your application has been processed and your overseas manufacturer information has been checked, you will receive notification from MPI.

You will receive a certificate check confirmation letter in PDF format for each overseas manufacturer. 

The letter will contain the following information:

• The name of the overseas manufacturer that was checked.
• The berries that are covered by their GFSI food safety programme scope.
• GFSI certificate identification number. 
• The expiry date of the certificate.

Provided no changes are made to the validity of the GFSI-recognised certificate, the outcome notification will be valid until the expiry date listed on the GFSI-recognised certificate.

Once you have received your certificate check confirmation letter, you can proceed to import from this overseas manufacturer. 

You can import any applicable ready-to-eat frozen berries as listed in the scope of the GFSI-recognised certificate. The berries in scope that you can import will be confirmed in the confirmation letter you receive. 

To gain food safety clearance

1. Confirm you can import from your manufacturer.

Make sure you have received a certificate check confirmation letter for the overseas manufacturer you are importing from, and that their GFSI-recognised certificate has not expired. 

2. Upload documents with the import entry.

Ensure you (or your broker) upload the following documents with your import entry for each consignment of ready-to-eat frozen berries: 

• Certificate check confirmation letter 
  
  • For each overseas manufacturer of frozen berries in the consignment. 
• Documented evidence that contains:
  • The name and address of the overseas manufacturers of the ready-to-eat frozen berries.
  • Date of export of the consignment.
  • Product details that match to the consignment.
  • Name and address of the person or entity responsible for providing the documented evidence.
  • The date when the documented evidence is issued or provided.

Note, examples of documented evidence includes, but is not limited to: commercial Invoice, manufacturer's declaration, bill of lading, packing list, certificate of origin, etc. 

You can only import from the overseas manufacturer up to the expiry date of their GFSI-recognised certificate. Product arriving into New Zealand after the expiry date will be permitted if it left the exporting country prior to the expiry date.

If you wish to continue to import from the manufacturer, you must apply for a new certificate check before the current certificate expires. 

The registered food importer is responsible for managing their overseas manufacturers, obtaining updated certificates and sending these through to MPI to be checked.

Your overseas manufacturer will have an audit scheduled in the months before their certificate expires. You will need to obtain the new certificate when it is issued, and apply for a new certificate check, following the process in step 3 on this page.

Ready-to-eat frozen berries exported after a certificate has expired will not be able to gain food safety clearance.  

Note, MPI will not be issuing reminders for expiring GFSI-recognised certificates. It is recommended you have systems in place to remind you when you need to apply for a new certificate to be checked.