Belize Experience: Third Party Certification
Delilah A. Cabb Ayala B.Sc. M.Sc. Coordinator Belize Agricultural Health Authority
WTO Thematic SPS Workshop on Control, Inspection and Approval Procedures, Geneva, Switzerland, 9-10 July 2018
Belize
WTO Thematic SPS Workshop on Control, Inspection and Approval Procedures
3
Population: 387, 879 (2017) Area: 8,867 sq. miles or Approximately 23,000 sq. km (22,966 km2) Official language: English Agricultural based economy with fisheries being very important along with the growing tourism sector.
Background
Belize Agricultural Health Authority (Chapter 211 of 2011)
Belize Bureau of Standards (chapter 295 of 2011)
Functions: food safety among others:
Standardization
Risk analysis Accreditation
Surveillance Metrology
diagnostics Labelling & consumer protection
Import regulation
Export Certification Ministry of Health (Chapter 40) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
Human health
Background
Statutory Instrument No. 54 of 2004 (Inspection – Foreign) Channel of communication Evaluation (what to expect) Timeframe Report Annex
Conditions of importation Negotiation process with competent authority
Belize experience: Third Party Certification
Exports from Belize
Source of information: https://caribbeanbiosafety.org/about-the-project/
To the USA To EU Member States To the Caribbean
Papayas: Phytosanitary certification – PH; Food safety – 3rd Party Certification eg. Primus Labs Hot pepper sauce: -HACCP certification; -FSMA (audits from Japanese buyers; FDA)
Shrimp: Certification: • veterinary & food
safety services • annual monitoring plan
(micro. & residues) • buyers 3rd party
certification requirements;
• (audits by FDA, buyers and customers)
Shrimp: Certification: • veterinary &
food safety services;
• Citrus juices • ISO 9001:2015 &
ISO 14001 (buyer is Coca Cola & Nestle)
Belize Experience: Third Party Certification & Audits shrimp Citrus concentrate
Citrus pulp Animal feed
Requirements
British Retail Consortium; Best Aquaculture Practices; Aquaculture Stewardship Council; Ethical Trading Initiative; Marks and Spencer - buyer TESCO - buyer
ISO 9001:2015 (QMS); ISO 14001:2015 (EMS); ISO 22000 (HACCP); British Retail consortium; Nestle – buyer Coco-Cola - buyer
Annual audits to retain certification and market access; -disease control; -residues (pesticides, antibiotics); -contaminants etc.
6 audits/annum 6 audits/annum
Summary
Requirements - more stringent/changing annually Transparency; harmonization; scientific justification; ALOP;
Communication – address concerns auditor & exporting company
Fees borne by the exporting company
Timeframes – report – within 28 days/audit
Summary
The Impact of Third Party Certification – certified companies Easier to access new markets Have less resilience to sustain shocks (disease outbreaks or
accessibility to inputs); High cost of production: investment (compliance), inputs &
numerous certifications (expansion of markets) at the national level
Dual certification system – product/destination; Loss of market access for a few companies (papayas)
New Work ?
Work in CCFICS – working document “Guidance for Competent Authorities to Assess third Party Assurance and its potential to inform National Food Control System (NFCS) Planning
Relationship between this guidance document & Article 13 of the SPS Agreement;
New Work?
Can developing countries (resource constraint/vulnerable economies) benefit from the use of TPA – without marginalizing their competent authorities?
Which proposed models would allow both to co-exist – collaboration/complimentary?