NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Directorate Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Private Bag X258, PRETORIA, 0001 30 Hamilton St, Arcadia

REGISTRATION OF FBO CODES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND HOW TO COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM

What is a FBO code? All Food Business Operators (FBO’s, i.e. producers, packers, processors, transporters, etc.) of regulated agricultural products for export must comply with the requirements of the hygiene and food safety legislation of the Department. International food safety and hygiene requirements prescribe that all FBO’s must register with the Department of Agriculture in order to ensure that exported products comply with the food safety and hygiene requirements, and that the Department must allocate a code to these registered FBO’s. A FBO code thus allows the identification of the origin of a product at any stage from the production unit to the final consumer. Tracking and tracing should be possible at any point in the supply chain. All FBO’s must thus complete the Application for Registration of Codes for Food Business Operators form and submit it to the fax number or the e-mail address indicated on the application form.

What is a regulated agricultural product? It is a product subject to the Standards and Requirements published under the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act 119 of 1990), which thus require an Export Certificate issued by PPECB on behalf of the Department.

Can I have more than one FBO code? Different farms must get different codes. Properties with one title deed can have more than one allocated FBO code, for example: Orchards that are sufficiently geographically situated as to prevent the spread of pests and diseases can have separate codes. On farm packhouses, processing plants, cold storage facilities, etc. must get a different code from the farm. The FBO codes of different types of Food Businesses on one location must as far as possible be separated, for example the code of a packhouse can be different from a cold store that forms part of it. The risk is that if only one code is allocated to the packhouse and cold store, then the certification status of the one will influence the certification status of the other. Storage facilities away from other activities must get their own codes. A separate application must be submitted for every code being applied for (only one FBO code will be allocated for each application form).

What must I do with the FBO code? All containers of regulated products leaving the country must indicate an allocated FBO code. It is preferred that the FBO code of the farm (producer) be indicated, however, Co-operative packhouses or factories which are packing/processing products from/for more than one grower may indicate their code on the containers, provided that they have a system in place to identify individual producers/growers.

1 The code must be indicated as prescribed by the relevant Standards and Requirements – PUC for fresh fruit and vegetables and Factory Code for canned and frozen fruit and vegetables. Processors of dried fruit and Rooibush and Honeybush must indicate the code either as FBOC…. (followed by the allocated number) or indicate the FBO number at the end of the lot identification on the product containers.

What if any of my registered particulars change? If any of the registration information regarding FBO’s changes, then the Department must be informed in order for us to update our database. The same registration form must be completed, but indicating the changed particulars. The application for registration form provides a place to indicate the allocated FBO code – this is important to distinguish the notification of change in particulars from a new registration.

How to complete the Application for Registration of Codes for Food Business Operators form: Point 1. Contact Details All applicants must complete this section. The contact information supplied must be for the actual Food Business applying for the code, not the head-office.

Point 2. Geographical Details The name of the Food Business (i.e. the company name) and the physical location must be indicated by all applicants in this section. The indication of the Global Positioning Co-ordinates is optional.

Point 3. Type of Food Business All applicants must complete this section. Farms must have separate codes from packhouses, cold stores, etc. (A separate form must be completed for each code). Packhouses, cold stores, processing plants etc. must preferably be separated (A separate form must be completed for each Business). Where processing is done a description of the type of processing must be indicated, e.g. drying, canning, freezing, etc. The packing of fresh fruit and vegetables is not regarded as processing. Other types of businesses not mentioned in this section can be indicated in the last block.

Point 4. Products/Commodities All applicants (excluding canning factories) must indicate the products, grown/produced, packed, processed, stored and handled in this section. The products indicated must be specific, e.g. pears, grapes, etc., not deciduous fruit. Exporters of seasonal products, such as vegetables, may indicate all products that they intend to export, although they are not producing them at the moment (else they will have to inform the Department every time they change their product). It is not necessary to indicate the types of cuts for dried and frozen fruit and vegetables. An applicant can attach his/her own separate list form if the products exceed 8. Canning factories must complete the same application form but a separate form must be used to indicate products and codes.

Point 5. System certification received Applicants must complete this section if applicable. Systems not listed must be indicated under “other”.

Point 6. Destination markets All applicants must complete this section. Destination markets not listed must be indicated under “other”.

2 Point 7. Other code information If the intent is to inform the Department of changes to particulars, then the allocated FBO code must be filled in the first block of this section. This is important to distinguish the application form from a new application. Citrus exporters must indicate the old PUC code allocated to citrus in the second block. Any international codes allocated to the FBO must also be indicated in this section. The last block in this section is applicable to processing plants (canning, freezing, drying, Rooibush and Honeybush) only. These facilities have been using “factory” codes up to now. When applying for a new FBO code the processing plant can indicate a suggested code that will be indicated on the product containers or form part of their lot identification number. It is important that applicants wait for confirmation before making use of the suggested code.

Point 8. Declaration Must be completed by all applicants. The Name of the Food Business is the same as in point 2.

Point 9. Is for official use only. The same document filled in by the applicant (Food Business) will be faxed back to the applicant with the allocated NDA FBO code indicated in the first block on the left hand side. The Food Business can start using the code once this confirmation is received by fax.

Applications must be faxed to the fax number (012 319 6055) or e-mailed to the e-mail address indicated at the end of the application document ([email protected]).

Enquiries regarding FBO codes can be directed to the following telephone numbers: Subtropical Fruit and Flowers (012) 319 6068 or (012) 319 6445 Deciduous Fruit (012) 319 6068 or (012) 319 6512 Dried Fruit (012) 319 6027 Frozen Fruit and Vegetables (012) 319 6020 Canned Fruit and Vegetables, Honeybush and Rooibush (012) 319 6388 Grains and Vegetables (012) 319 6387 or (012) 319 6028

More information as well as the following documents are available on the Departmental Website: Application for Registration of Codes for Food Business Operators form Hygiene and food safety legislation of the Department Products and codes form for canning factories

Departmental Website address: www.nda.agric.za/docs/plantquality/default.htm

▬ ▬ ▬ O O O ▬ ▬ ▬

3