InformatIon for PIg Producers

Providing our customers with safe, wholesome, Australian produced pork

For further information, contact APIQM at: PO Box 148, Deakin West ACT 2600 AustraliaTelephone: 02 6285 2200 Facsimile: 02 6285 2288 Free call: 1800 789 099 Email: apiq@australianpork.com.auWebsite: www.apiq.com.au

Disclaimer - The opinions, advice and information contained in this publication have not been provided at the request of any person but are offered by Australian Pork Limited solely for informational purposes. While the information contained on this publication has been formulated in good faith, it should not be relied on as a substitute for professional advice. Australian Pork Limited does not accept liability in respect of any action taken by any person in reliance on the content of this publication.

A BrIEF HIsTOry OF QuAlITy AssurAnCE (QA) In PIg PrODuCTIOnThe Australian Pork Industry Quality Program (APIQ), was first launched to enhance the reputation of the Australian pork industry as a reliable supplier of safe, healthy and wholesome pork. It was, and still is, a voluntary program, administered by Australian Pork Limited (APL) on behalf of the pig industry. Over time, APIQ provided the framework and tools for pork producers to demonstrate good practices for food safety, traceability, animal welfare and biosecurity. A second transitional quality assurance program called PigPass Quality Assurance (PPQA) was implemented to underpin the declarations made on the PigPass National Vendor Declaration (NVD) in relation to food safety and encourage uptake of QA.

the futureToday’s discerning consumers are less informed about farm practices and food production than they used to be, but are more aware and concerned about animal welfare and food safety, requiring greater assurance from industry on these issues.

KEEPIng QA sIMPlEOn-farm systems do not have to be complicated to demonstrate how you meet quality assurance standards. Basically, your Piggery Management Manual and records describe the day-to-day tasks on your farm, and how they are performed. Providing you follow accepted ‘Good Agricultural Practices’ (GAP), and successfully meet APIQ ™ standards, you will receive APIQ ™ certification that allows you to sell your pigs as ‘Quality Assured’.

WHAT Is APIQ ™?APIQ ™ is an on-farm quality assurance system. It is based on managing farm risks by following Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), using the principles of Hazard Analysis and managing Critical Control Points (HACCP).

APIQ ™ is designed to assist producers identify and manage risks in their piggeries and provides tools, such as example Piggery Management Manuals, diaries, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and recording systems.

WHAT APIQ ™ covers?APIQ ™ standards cover five key areas:

Management – helping you manage your pigs systematically.1. Food Safety – helping you produce food that is safe.2. Animal Welfare – helping you maintain high standards of animal care.3. Biosecurity – helping you manage health risks to your pigs, to other 4. pigs and people.Traceability – meeting traceability obligations through the National 5. Livestock Identification System (NLIS) and the National Vendor Declaration system (NVD).

gOOD AgrICulTurAl PrACTICEs (gAP)Those practices you use to manage your pigs, allowing them to have a clean, safe environment to dwell, sufficient quality feed to sustain production and manage socialisation, and to manage their health according to sound, scientifically, acceptable practices, using appropriate advice where necessary.

HAzArD AnAlysIs AnD CrITICAl COnTrOl POInTs (HACCP)You determine the extent to which you need to implement a HACCP plan, using the guidelines provided in the APIQ ™ Implementation and Reference Manuals.

BenefIts of APIQ ™ to Pork ProducersAPIQ• ™ provides the framework and tools to help you implement efficient management and recording systems on-farm. APIQ• ™ certification gives your customers assurance that you meet high standards for food safety, animal welfare, biosecurity and traceability, as well as good agricultural practice in managing your pigs.APIQ• ™ helps protect your piggery and the industry from exotic diseases. APIQ• ™ certification opens the door to both domestic and export markets.APIQ• ™ removes confusion by having one set of standards for certified producers, and customers know what APIQ ™certification stands for.Managing a piggery according to the APIQ• ™ prescribed program delivers pigs of a consistent quality, which in turn, delivers customer satisfaction and profitability.

ImProvements In APIQ ™

APIQ ™ Administration and Management – is the responsibility of APIQ ™ Management (APIQM), which operates within the APL Policy Division. APIQM is guided by the certification and administrative policies that govern the program. Only APIQM approves a farm’s certification.

One Program - an in depth review of the industry’s quality assurance programs has lead to the development of a single quality assurance program, with one set of standards for all producers, known as APIQ ™.

One set of standards – comprising management, food safety, biosecurity, animal welfare and traceability.

PigPass QA – PPQA is to be phased out, requiring PPQA certified producers to develop their systems to meet the new APIQ ™ standards.

All Production systems Covered – the APIQ ™ standards accommodate all forms of pig production, including free range, free range bred and intensive systems.

small and large Holders – APIQ ™ has created two producer categories to acknowledge the difference in record keeping between small and large holders. A Small Holder is able to demonstrate compliance to quality assurance by using a simplified diary for routine record keeping. A Small Holder is a producer who has 20 or fewer sows and/or feeds to slaughter 400 or fewer pigs in a year. A producer who has 21 or more sows, and/or sell or feed to slaughter more than 400 pigs in a year is a Large Holder.

Audits and Auditors – all APIQ ™ certified producers must have an annual compliance (site) audit by the last day of the month prior to certification expiry. The audit gives a producer feedback on any improvements needed to meet the standards. The auditor must be APIQ ™ registered, have a minimum of NFSA Level 2 with APIQ ™ Scope, be a third party with no conflicting interests and cannot audit the same piggery for more than three consecutive years.

APIQ ™ Certification Approval – audit reports, signed by the producer and auditor are sent to APIQM, who reviews each report and corrective action request, and determines whether a piggery’s certification is approved.

regional Audit Plan – producers may elect to participate in a Regional Audit Plan to minimise the costs of the audit. APIQM will conduct a tender process with eligible auditors on behalf of participating producers in your region, so that the auditor is able to minimise fees by sharing expenses across multiple sites.A producer elects to participate in a regional audit plan by contacting APIQM by phone, email or online at www.apiq.com . APIQM will then contact you, and other producers in your region, to facilitate the plan.

Tools and Assistance for Producers – APIQM has developed and produced manuals, guides, diaries, brochures, an APIQ ™ website and policies to help producers become APIQ ™ certified.

Appeals – producers may not always be happy with the decisions of APIQM regarding their certification, and can appeal to have situations and decisions reviewed by the independent APIQ Panel.

The APIQ Panel – is an independent panel of experts, established to consider situations and incidences of critical concern regarding producers, auditors, policies and certification decisions.

Annual systems and Programs Audit – the APIQ ™ system and program is audited annually by an independent Certifying Body (CB) to ensure that its policies, processes and administration are robust, reliable and of a high standard.

HACCP is Optional - a pig producer may establish a full HACCP plan, if they wish, or may adopt only those HACCP principles that are relevant to their piggery.

makIng the transItIon to APIQ ™Producers with current APIQ ™ or PPQA certification will receive the APIQ ™ manuals and guides by mail with their annual renewal notices.

APIQ to APIQ ™ - APIQ ™ certified producers will need to review their manual to ensure their Piggery Management Manual and records are up-to-date.

PPQA to APIQ ™ - PPQA certified producers will be expected to improve their Piggery Management Manual (QA Manual) to meet the standards for management, biosecurity, animal welfare and traceability, and ensure their current food safety plan is up-to-date. (Start at step 2 after receiving the APIQ ™ manuals and guides.)

no QA to APIQ ™ - producers with no QA, who wish to establish APIQ ™ on-farm, follow these steps:

Step 1 Contact APIQM to register your interest and receive the APIQ ™ manuals and guides.

Step 2 Work through the manuals and create your ’Piggery Management Manual’ and record keeping system.

Step 3 Manage your piggery as you have described.

Step 4 Complete an internal audit using the ‘Internal Audit Checklist’ in the Implementation Manual.

Step 5 Make changes where needed, and contact APIQM for a list of auditors, or elect to participate in a Regional Audit Plan.

Step 6 Assist the auditor during the audit process and make improvements to your system, if identified.

Step 7 Each year, renew your certification by having an audit completed by the last day of the month prior to expiry. APIQM will send you two reminders, 12 weeks and eight weeks prior to renewal.