How APLAC support trading of safe food internationally

Chang Kwei Fern APLAC Chair

15 June 2012

Outline

• Global Trends

• Role of APLAC

• How does the MRA work?

• How does the MRA benefit you?

Global Trends

• Globalisation: bring values but also challenges to our food chain, leading to escalating demand and focus on food quality and safety

• Potential hazards exist in whole food chain: pesticides in vegetables; microbes in raw materials; or a breakdown in food management system

• International aspect of food production: ingredients, products or parts of products may come from several countries around the world

• Adoption of a risk-based approach through Hazard Analytical and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, to the Farm-to-Fork approach to reduce food borne hazards entering the food chain

Global Trends

• With increasing consumer awareness and changing eating habits, there are growing demands for: – Quality and safe food – Confidence and transparency – Consistency and predictability – Regulatory compliance, etc

• Companies take more ownership on food safety to protect their brand and tightening control of food supply chain

• Regulators tighten regulations and engage more with third party providers to gain more control on food supply chain

Mechandise Exports and Imports by Regiona, 2011

a Values and shares include intra-EU trade Note: colours and boundaries do not imply any judgement on the part of WTO as to the legal status or frontier of any territory Source: WTO Secretariat

To Enter : Reliable Proof of Compliance required!

Market Access

Safe Healthy

Environmental friendly

Efficiency

Quality

New products & Services

New technology & innovations

Existing products & Services

Standards & regulations

Role of Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC)

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APLAC

• Established in 1992 • Incorporated in 2006: APLAC Constitution • Membership:

– All APEC economies except Chile – Also Bangladesh, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka – 37 full members – 8 associate members

• Laboratory, inspection body, reference material producer (RMP) and Proficiency Testing Provider (PTP) accreditation bodies in APEC economies and in other economies (with approval of three-fourths majority)

01/11 9 APLAC PR 007 issue no 31

APLAC’s Role • Development of laboratory, inspection body, RMP and PTP

accreditation procedures and practices in the APEC region through cooperations, including MRA evaluations, publication of documents, organisation of proficiency testing programs, organisation of training courses and workshops, etc.

• Promotion of accreditation and MRA as a trade facilitation tool

• Recognition of competent test and calibration facilities, inspection bodies and reference material producers and proficiency testing providers in the APEC region

01/11 10 APLAC PR 007 issue no 31

APLAC’s Role

• Cooperation with other regional accreditation organisations such as EA, IAAC, AFRAC, SADCA

• Strong links with APEC SCSC & other APEC Specialist Regional Bodies, APLMF, APMP, PAC, PASC

APLAC’s Vision To be a leading and respected authority providing reliable global solutions for the

recognition of technical competence

01/11 11 APLAC PR 007 issue no 31

APLAC MRA

• Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) inaugural signing in 1997 for testing and calibration

• MRA extended to inspection in Nov 2003 and RMP in Dec 2007

• Developing MRA for PTP

• APLAC is a recognised Regional Cooperation Body Member of ILAC, ie a regional component of global ILAC Arrangement since November 2000 (test and calibration only)

How does MRA work?

Supervision in the Market

International Standards

GOVERNMENT CONSUMERS PURCHASERS

CONFIDENCE TRUST ASSURANCE

PRODUCT & SERVICE PROVIDERS

Standards / regulatory requirements / scheme criteria

ACCREDITATION BODY

Peer Evaluation

Eg ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, SS 506, SS540, HSA TS-01

CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BODIES

Inspection Bodies

ISO/IEC 17020

Certification Bodies

ISO/IEC 17021 ISO/IEC Guide 65

Laboratories ISO/IEC 17025

ISO 15189

ISO/IEC 17011

Standards Stan

dard

s Building Blocks for Market Access

National Measurement

System

Accreditation System

Calibration, Testing and Certification

Systems

National Measurement

System

Accreditation System

Calibration, Testing and Certification

Systems

TRUST

Assurance of Quality of Products & Services Facilitate Trade and Market Access

Economy A Economy B

Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)

Accreditation Body

CABs

Products / Systems

Accredit

Test / inspect / certify

Confidence

ISO/IEC 17011 ISO/IEC 17025 ISO 15189 ISO/IEC 17020 ISO/IEC 17021 ISO/IEC G65 International Specifications & Standards

Accreditation Body

Products / Systems

Accredit

Confidence

Mutual Recognition

CABs

Test / inspect / certify

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APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)

• APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement – Open to all accreditation bodies for participation – Based on technical competence – Rigorous and regular evaluation and monitoring – Independent review and decision making – Continuous improvement – Welcome feedback and suggestion – Internationally recognised

APLAC MRA

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APLAC

Signatory ABs in economy 2

Signatory ABs in economy N

Signatory ABs in economy 1

Rigorous evaluation & monitoring

MRA signatories will: 1. Mutually

• Recognize one another’s accreditation • Accept results obtained by their accredited organizations

2. Recommend 3rd parties to recognize the same

……

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International

Economies Accreditation Bodies

Regional APLAC Others IAAC

Labs / IBs

ILAC

EA

Global mutual recognition through arrangements of international and regional cooperations

World Accreditation Structure Laboratory / Inspection Bodies

ILAC MRA Signatories

ILAC Associate Members ILAC Affiliate Members

Coverage of the ILAC MRA (Apr 2011)

Global MRA

The MRA acts as an internationally recognised ‘stamp of approval’ to demonstrate compliance against agreed standards and requirements. Reduced duplication as test and calibration data included in submissions for product approvals can be evaluated without re-testing.

Use of Combined Mark

Launch of ILAC/IAF & AB combined mark for accredited CABs to be used on their reports or certificates.

How does the MRA benefit you?

For the Governments/Regulators

The MRA provides governments with a credible and technically robust framework ● Enhancing government to government international trade agreements ● The long-term objective for a free-trade goal of “a product tested once, accepted everywhere” ● Minimum cost or even cost reduction to regulators and specifiers

For the Industry users

The MRA ensures that businesses that depend on test and calibration data have greater confidence in the accuracy of the test and calibration reports they purchase from accredited facilities.

● Reduce uncertainty on acceptability ● Minimize costs and delays ● Faster market access

For the Manufacturers

The MRA ensures that manufacturing businesses can derive significant cost savings. ● Instead of internal assessments, can confirm their products by relying on recognised competent accredited facilities ● More choice of suppliers ● Results recognised globally

In summary

Accreditation & MRA in supporting Trade

• Globalisation – global free trade market

- need for trading partner to demonstrate compliance (conformity assessment)

• Accreditation – when

competently performed facilitates acceptance of data

• MRA – when effectively managed facilitates global acceptance of data

Accreditation & MRA in supporting Trade

• Increasingly in many economies, regulators are making use of accreditation as an integral part of their approval mechanism for conformity assessment body (CAB)

• With multi-lateral or bi-lateral free trade agreements (FTAs) being established between government, accreditation process is also used in the designation of CAB to demonstrate regulatory compliance of traded goods and services with other partner economies’ requirements

• The relevance of accreditation & MRA to trade is also being acknowledged by WTO