AsureQuality explained

AsureQuality Limited
Native Name:	Kaitiaki Kai
Type:	Public Company
Industry:	Food Quality Assurance
Predecessor:	ASURE New Zealand Limited AgriQuality Limited
Foundation:	Auckland, New Zealand
Location City:	Auckland
Location Country:	New Zealand
Locations:	100
Num Employees:	1800

AsureQuality Limited (previously AgriQuality Limited) is a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) fully owned by the government of New Zealand.^[1] The company's core business is food quality assurance with its services including certification, inspection, testing, and training. AsureQuality has over 1700 staff at over 100 locations throughout New Zealand. AsureQuality also has a joint venture partner, Bureau Veritas.. Bureau Veritas and AsureQuality have two joint ventures, BVAQ Australia and BVAQ SouthEast Asia.^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Company history

AsureQuality was formed in 2007 from the merger of ASURE New Zealand Limited and AgriQuality Limited.^[7] Both companies were originally formed in 1998 from the service delivery arm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Quality Management, with ASURE handling meat inspection and AgriQuality specialising in livestock, horticulture and forestry.^[8] Following the merger the company employed more than 1700 staff at 140 sites throughout New Zealand and Australia, with its primary laboratory in Gracefield, New Zealand.^[9]

In 2008 AsureQuality entered a partnership with the Hospitality Standards Institute to provide food safety training for the hospitality sector.^[10] In 2010 it opened a wine-certification laboratory in Auckland;^[11] in 2013 it expanded its Christchurch food-testing laboratory.^[12]

In May 2010 it was among a group of SOEs valued for possible sale by the New Zealand government.^[13]

In April 2016 the company acquired Australian laboratory-testing provider Dairy Technical Services.^[14]

In November 2020 the company was fined $66,000 after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act over an incident in which seven workers suffered chemical burns while cleaning a Mycoplasma bovis-infected farm in 2018.^[15]

Services

Audit, inspection, testing, verification and certification

• Independent audit, inspection, verification and certification against local and international regulatory and retailer standards^{[16] [17]}
• Veterinary and field technician services including farm assurance, dairy farm assessment, sample collection, TB testing and related disease management^[18]
• Ante-mortem and post-mortem meat inspection^[19]

Food and contaminants testing

• Food testing and analysis against regulatory and retailer standards for pathogens, toxins, allergens, chemical residues, genetically modified organisms and nutritional information^[20]
• Seed testing and certification for arable, dairy, and livestock farming and export^[21]
• Specialist plant and pest taxonomy, border control and pathology services^[22]

Diagnostics

• Contract manufacturing of diagnostic products and distribution of specialist veterinary test kits for use in disease management programmes^[23]

Market AssuranceMarket Assurance helps New Zealand food producers connect with global consumers through tailored product claims and brand endorsement solutions, combining AsureQuality’s trusted endorsement with on-pack marks and co-marketing solutions.^[24] Services include the following:

• New Zealand Grass-Fed Certification: offers a standardised framework to define and certify New Zealand grass-fed products.^[25]
• Verified Attributes: offers customised programmes to verify unique product claims. The verified claims can be integrated into the AQ Assured Transparency Programme, enabling brands to provide customers with end-to-end supply chain information through a QR code for a premium product experience.^[26]
• Brand Endorsement Co-marketing Solutions: brand endorsement videos, live streaming, joint media releases, and storytelling through Market Assurance’s social media channels.

Training

• NZQA-approved training courses^[27] are offered mainly to help Quality Control Managers, Internal Auditors, Food Producers, Technical Compliance Coordinators and other food industry professionals to improve their confidence and competence in their field of work
• Courses on Food Safety, HPCCA and Auditing^{[28] [29] [30]}

Biosecurity

• Under agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries, AsureQuality provides readiness, capability, incursion response and surveillance services for biosecurity^{[31] [32] [33]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Shareholdings.
2. Web site: AsureQuality extends Bureau Veritas partnership to SE Asia - sharechat.co.nz. 2021-06-08. www.sharechat.co.nz.
3. Web site: Bureau Veritas partners with AsureQuality, establishing a food testing leader in South East Asia. 2021-06-08. Bureau Veritas. en.
4. Web site: Analytical Laboratories - AsureQuality. 2021-06-02. Lab-works Architecture. en-NZ.
5. Web site: Organic Exporters Association of New Zealand . Organic New Zealand - Members & Product Search . 2021-06-02 . www.organictradenz.com.
6. Web site: The AsureQuality Story. 2021-06-02. AsureQuality. en-GB.
7. News: Merger gives company world-class potential . The Orchardist . 1 November 2007 . 64–65 . 80 . 10 . EBSCOhost.
8. News: FOOD SAFETY VENTURE . . Robyn Bristow . 6 September 2007 . A6 . EBSCOhost.
9. News: A multinational approach to food safety . Dominion Post . 20 February 2008 . E18 . EBSCOhost.
10. News: AsureQuality collaborates with HSI . Hospitality . 1 June 2008 . 18 . EBSCOhost.
11. News: AsureQuality opens new export wine certification lab . Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker . 1 July 2010 . 79 . 558 . EBSCOhost.
12. News: Food industry growth prompts lab expansion . Orchardist . Heather Chalmers . 12–13 . 1 February 2013 . EBSCOhost.
13. Web site: State assets assessed for sale to investors . New Zealand Herald . Audrey Young . 24 May 2010 . 8 June 2021.
14. Web site: AsureQuality to acquire Dairy Technical Services . Scoop . 18 April 2016 . 8 June 2021.
15. Web site: Companies fined after workers burned cleaning M. bovis farm in Southland . Blair Jackson . Stuff . 5 November 2020 . 8 June 2021.
16. Web site: Animal Export – Animal Certification & Testing . 2021-06-02 . AsureQuality. en-NZ.
17. Web site: 27 September 2002 . ASURE New Zealand Limited . 100% of Meat Inspection Staff NZQA Registered . 2021-06-08 . www.scoop.co.nz.
18. Web site: Livestock. 2021-06-02. AsureQuality. en-GB.
19. Web site: Meat. 2021-06-02. AsureQuality. en-GB.
20. Web site: Quality Control Services for Food Manufacturers & Food Producers. 2021-06-02. AsureQuality. en-GB.
21. Web site: Seeds. 2021-06-02. AsureQuality. en-GB.
22. Web site: Horticulture . 2021-06-02. AsureQuality. en-NZ.
23. Web site: Animal Disease Management - Livestock Management. 2021-06-02. AsureQuality. en-GB.
24. Web site: Assurance Marks for Food Assurance & Safety . 2024-10-16 . AsureQuality . en-GB.
25. Web site: New Zealand Grass-Fed Certification . 2024-10-16 . AsureQuality . en-GB.
26. Web site: Assurance Marks for Food Assurance & Safety . 2024-10-16 . AsureQuality . en-GB.
27. Web site: New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) . Organisations >> NZQA - AsureQuality Limited . 2021-06-02. www.nzqa.govt.nz. en-NZ.
28. Web site: Academy Professional Industry Training. 2021-06-01. AsureQuality. en-GB.
29. Web site: AsureQuality training . live . 2021-06-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226131640/http://aqdiagnostics.com.au/assets/AQ-Academy-International-Students-v3/International-Students-Handbook_PRINT-v3-2002201.pdf . 2021-02-26 .
30. AsureQuality Academy Launched . NZ Grower . 2021-06-08.
31. Web site: Veterinary Diagnostics . 2021-06-02 . AsureQuality Diagnostics. en-US.
32. Web site: Entries open for 2020 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards . 2021-06-08. NZ Herald. en-NZ.
33. Web site: Biosecurity. 2021-06-01. AsureQuality. en-GB.