Wineries get choice for export testing

New Zealand wineries can now have wine destined for Europe tested by laboratories closer to home instead of being sent to Auckland for analysis, Minister for Food Safety Kate Wilkinson announced today.

Ms Wilkinson says the new arrangements, being rolled out by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), were in response to calls by winemakers to allow testing to be done in laboratories closer to their operations.

"I was lobbied by National MPs on behalf of their local winemakers who had expressed frustration over the current process.

"It makes sense that wine should be allowed to be tested at any appropriate lab rather than forcing wineries to send everything to Auckland.

"A number of labs have indicated they want to offer the service, so wineries should soon have a choice of providers and can hopefully reduce their compliance costs."

The laboratory recognition programme starts on 1 July 2009 and will allow any eligible laboratory in the country to apply to carry out testing of wine for export to Europe. 

The testing provides the information that New Zealand bases official assurances about the composition of our wine, and guarantees the wine complies with EU import requirements.

"This is essential for access to the United Kingdom, which is New Zealand's biggest wine market," Ms Wilkinson says.

"In the year to February 2009, over 33 million litres of wine reached the UK market and every different batch has to be tested to get there."

Laboratories that want to become recognised to provide export wine testing must meet a number of requirements. 

These include achieving accreditation in accordance with international standards, participating in an Inter-laboratory Comparison Programme, and demonstrating the ability to use NZFSA-approved test methods.