AgriQuality Limited
Encyclopedia
AsureQuality Limited is a state-owned Enterprise
fully owned by the Government
of New Zealand
. The company's expertise lies in the areas of Food safety
and Biosecurity
. AsureQuality has 1700 staff, based in 140 sites in both New Zealand and Australia
.
, MAF Quality Management.
AsureQuality is the largest and most internationally accredited provider of food safety and biosecurity services to the food and agricultural sectors in the southern hemisphere.
AsureQuality services include:
Information Technology
AsureQuality is dependent on large-scale electronic information systems for the majority of its operational capability. The company has developed three major information systems that have significant integration across all functional divisions of the business.
State-Owned Enterprises of New Zealand
State-owned enterprises in New Zealand are registered companies listed under Schedules 1 and 2 of the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986...
fully owned by the Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The company's expertise lies in the areas of Food safety
Food safety
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....
and Biosecurity
Biosecurity
Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, living modified organisms...
. AsureQuality has 1700 staff, based in 140 sites in both New Zealand and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Company history
AsureQuality was formed in 2007 from the merger of Asure New Zealand Limited and AgriQuality Limited . Both companies were originally formed in 1998 from the service delivery arm of the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the state sector organisation of New Zealand which deals with matters relating to agriculture, forestry and biosecurity...
, MAF Quality Management.
AsureQuality is the largest and most internationally accredited provider of food safety and biosecurity services to the food and agricultural sectors in the southern hemisphere.
AsureQuality services include:
- Organic and inorganic chemical testing for environmental, industry and process contaminants
- Food and environmental testing and analysis
- Production and distribution of animal health diagnostics
- Audit, inspection and certification to producers, processors and retailers across the food and agricultural sectors
- Training programmes to the food manufacturing, retail and hospitality sectors
- Surveillance and response services to assist MAF Biosecurity New Zealand protect against exotic pest and disease incursions.
Information Technology
AsureQuality is dependent on large-scale electronic information systems for the majority of its operational capability. The company has developed three major information systems that have significant integration across all functional divisions of the business.
- AgriBase - A spatially enabled database of properties and business entities involved in food production and/or animal based disease control.
- QualCheck - A system for the recording of results of all audits performed by company auditors.
- VirtualLab - A highly advanced Laboratory Information Management System allowing customers to have a web-based view into the production and progress of their laboratory sample data.