Biosecurity Approved Premises (BAP) and Fruit Exporters License (FEL)
For Export of Agricultural Goods Part 1 of 2
The Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) under its mandate is responsible to facilitate agricultural trade, primarily agricultural produce exports from Fiji. In order to ensure trade take place safely, there are a number of factors to consider before attempting export of plant, animal or forestry goods from Fiji. One of the key factors is ensuring the availability of a pack-house. In this week’s article, we explore the need for exporters to have proper pack-houses which are Biosecurity Approved Premises (BAP) and the requirements that must be met in order to obtain BAP certification.
Export Pack-house
An export pack-house is a standard facility which has been specially established to process agricultural commodities for export purposes and meets all requirements set by BAF. The pack-house is an integral component of the export system as a phytosanitary and quality checkpoint; hence exporters must comply with the requirements for such a facility before an approval can be granted for him/her to process commodities in that particular pack-house. The following are some of the key mandatory requirements.
1. Facility:
a) Location – must be an ideal area free of hazardous odours, smoke, dust or other contaminants and also free from flooding b) Roadways – must provide proper accessibility to the pack-house; preferably tar sealed c) Must have sound construction and follow the floor plan set by BAF d) Must provide adequate working space for ease of processing and cleaning, in other words, accommodate unhindered flow in processing e) Must have physical separation between processing points to avoid contamination of produce f) Must have concrete floor that allows a proper drainage system g) Ceilings must prevent any dust accumulation and should be easy to clean h) Must be designed in a way that prevents pests and other contaminants from entering the pack-house (windows should have anti-insect screens) i) Must have proper ventilation system – mechanisms must be in place to control temperature inside the pack-house j) Must have a general hygiene system in place
2. Sanitation:
a) Adequate supply of water b) High pressure hosing system c) Adequate drainage and waste disposal system d) Availability of hot water e) Cleaning schedules and adequate cleaning equipment f) Personal hygiene facilities g) Convenience (bathroom and toilets) – readily available and must be away from produce processing area
Inspection requirements for Quality Controller (QC) and BAF usage
It is mandatory for the pack-house to have an inspection room (or a designated area) with sufficient space, adequate lighting, fixtures, benches, tables and equipment such as magi lamps, magnifying glasses and hand lenses to be used by the Quality Controller for his/ her inspection before commodities are passed for BAF inspection. The Biosecurity Officer(s) will use the same or alternative room/area for their inspection. The QC must ensure that the pack-house has separate storage rooms for processed commodities and other food items well away from where chemicals are stored. BAF’s Technical Team trains the QCs for exporters of agricultural commodities and accredits them with certificates (as qualified QCs) annually. Usually 2 – 3 trainings are conducted every year so that more than one QC per exporter can be trained without affecting his/her packhouse operations.
Control of Food Hazards
Because the export pack-houses process commodities that will end up on someone’s plate when exported, it is very important that the pack-house maintains food safety through food hygiene practices and equipment sterilization. Some export pack-houses registered with BAF have obtained Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification and BAF recommends that exporters that currently do not have HACCP certification or potential new exporters should also operate under HACCP accreditation. *HACCP; is an international food safety certification
Cleaning Procedures and Methods
Export pack-houses that process agricultural commodities must have a cleaning program. Cleaning must be done on a regular basis. Adequate cleaning tools, chemicals, disinfectants and equipment must be used. Generally, an active and integrated pest control system should be in place and a pest control company shall ideally be engaged to undertake pest control activities. The processes that are undertaken inside the pack house ensure the commodities are processed and packed in accordance or in line with the standards for commercial imports (requirements) of the competent regulatory authority of importing countries. For example, if okra is being processed at an export pack-house for the New Zealand market, it must satisfy requirements set in the Import Health Standard (IHS) developed for okra from Fiji by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (NZMPI). Furthermore, good pack-house maintenance and commodity processing practices provide confidence to Fiji’s trading partners that standards are being followed and high levels of phytosanitary safety observed which ensures fruits and vegetable cleanliness is maintained at all time for export. In next week’s article, we will look at why segregation of pack-house activities is important, what a Fruit Exporters License is and how to obtain one if you are planning to export fruits and vegetables from Fiji.