Cessation of the AQIS Chemical Certification Scheme
In the last few weeks you have been advised by email that the AQIS product registration scheme has been discontinued by the Australian Government. This has resulted in many food producers being unsure of how to fulfil their external and internal auditor requirements. Many companies, not just food producers, in the past have insisted and relied upon AQIS Certificates as verification of fitness for use of a product in a food environment.
This has now been replaced by a self certification scheme, which ONLY applies to export meat establishments, not to food producers, aged care etc. Auditors are not legally able to request or insist upon this outside of a meat facility.
There is currently much confusion in the market and with auditors. Our industry body has agreed to work with food authorities and AQIS to ensure is consistency. We aim to develop a standard document which food auditors reviewing non meat export environments can rely upon. Once the scheme details are final these guidelines will be conveyed to all relevant parties.
Details of this can be found at the following site address http://www.cleveland.com.au/index.php?option=com_docman&Itemid=53 "Cessation of AQIS scheme".