Guaranteeing food safety
Under the Animal Products Act 1999, every commercial egg farmer or egg processor in New Zealand is required to have an RMP (Risk Management Programme) registered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) (previously MAF and the NZ Food Safety Authority).
The purpose of an RMP is to help identify, control, manage and/or eliminate hazards generally associated with human health, animal health, and with the labelling and ‘wholesomeness’ of a product.
In simple terms, having an RMP helps ensure all aspects of a farmer’s or processor’s operation have been well considered and the resulting products are safe and fit for purpose.
Farms and processing businesses are regularly audited by MPI officials to review that their RMP is in place and working well.
More details about RMP’s and the other food safety requirements are available here.