STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

ON
MANAGEMENT, ALLOCATION, UPDATE AND
ACCESS
TO THE FBO (FOOD BUSINESS OPERATOR)
DATABASE

This SOP will be effective as from 1 June 2008

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INDEX Page

1. OBJECTIVE................................................................................................................3
2. SCOPE.......................................................................................................................3
3. DEFINITIONS.............................................................................................................3
4. REFERENCE TO REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS...............................................................................6
5. ALLOCATION PROCESS..........................................................................................6
6. UPDATE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE FBO DATABASE.......................................9
7. ACCESS TO THE FBO DATABASE..........................................................................9
8. USE OF THE FBO CODES........................................................................................9
9. ROLE-PLAYERS, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.............................................10
10. REVIEW................................................................................................................11
11. RECORDS............................................................................................................11
12. AMENDMENT RECORD......................................................................................11
ANNEXURE A..................................................................................................................12
ANNEXURE B.................................................................................................................13

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1. OBJECTIVE

To present a guideline for management, access, update and registration process

for the Food Business Operator (FBO) database of the National Department of
Agriculture (DoA).

2. SCOPE

2.1 The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) shall be followed by all personnel of
the DoA and relevant assignees involved in the objective of the database. The
SOP shall include procedures and responsibilities for all role-players to follow.

2.2 The scope of registration is for products subjected to the standards and
requirements published under the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act
No. 119 of 1990), which requires an Export certificate; excluding the registration
of canning, dried fruit, rooibos, honeybush and frozen product factories/facilities
for which a separate SOP will be completed. The SOP shall include drying and
fermentation that take place on the farm. (See Annexure B for schedule of
registered products.)

2.3 The registration of a FBO code is to facilitate the traceability process of tracing
and tracking of product one step up and one step down in the supply chain.

2.4 The scope of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be applicable to
FBO's producing and handling produce for export with the exception of:

2.4.1 FBO delivering to local fresh produce market; and

2.4.2 Agri production unit (PUC's) producing grain products for delivery to grain
storage facilities exporting their produce.

3. DEFINITIONS

3.1 "assignee": a person, undertaking, body, institution, association or board

designated under section 2(3) of the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990
(Act No. 119 of 1990);

3.2 "Commercial cold storage facilities": means commercial cold storage facilities
not located on primary production sites/farms involved in the handling, storage
and distribution of products of plant origin, which are intended for export;

3.3 "Container depot": means a place for storage, cleaning, detention and
examination of empty containers;

3.4 "Drying facilities": means a facility for drying, handling and chemical treatment
of dried fruit, rooibos and honey bush tea destined for further processing;

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3.5 "Dry storage facilities": means those facilities involved in the handling, storage
and distribution of products of plant origin, which are intended for export. These
include commercial storage facilities and exclude facilities only storing own
product. These are collection depots and ambient bulk storage facilities.

3.6 "Executive Officer": the officer designated under section 2(1) of the Agricultural
Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990);

3.7 "Exporter": means those FBO's that are responsible for ensuring that the pro-
ducts that they supply to the market meet the requirements of the buyers
(importers and/or retailers) as well as the minimum regulatory requirements of
the importing and exporting countries. They are also responsible for co-
ordinating the export supply chain from farm to fork.

3.8 "Food Business": means any enterprise or undertaking, whether for profit or
not, whether public or private carrying out any or all of the stages of handling
from, and including primary production up to and including the export of food
products. The food business and its sub-units must be allocated a single FBO
Code, representing the food business, enterprise or undertaking. "Undertaking"
would include third party arrangements or projects managed by third parties, e.g.
production contracts operating within or from a food business. Such "virtual"
undertakings may be separately identified when appropriate.

3.9 "Food Business Operator (FBO)": means the person or persons responsible
for ensuring that the prescribed requirements of these standards are met within
the food business under his or her control and include both the management of
the food business as well as the person with overall authority on site or in the
specific establishment. The FBO will be accountable for third party
arrangements, where responsibility for such operations is under the control of a
third party food producer.

3.10 "Food Business Operator (FBO) Code": means an alpha-numeric code which
has been registered with the Executive Officer of the APS Act by each producer,
packhouse packing fruit and vegetables and all other FBO's destined for export.

3.11 "Food Producer": means the person or persons responsible for the food, who
may be the food business operator or employee of the food business or a part
owner of share block participant or third party;

3.12 "Food Production Unit" & "Food Production Unit Code": means any facility or
food business unit or sub-unit that is used for the production of food for export or
domestic markets, and which needs to be uniquely identified. Examples include
farms, orchards, blocks, fields, tunnels or hot houses. The food production unit
would be identified by the Production Unit Code (PUC). One food business could
have many food production units;

3.13 "Fresh produce market facilities": means municipal and private fresh produce
markets and associated produce handling facilities that are sources of
agricultural products of plant origin destined for export;

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3.14 "Grain storage facilities": means facilities involved in the handling, storage and
distribution of regulated grains and oilseeds (excluding groundnuts) intended for
export. The grain storage facility might have a multiple storage silo's or bins.

3.15 "inspector/assessor": the Executive Officer or an officer under his or her

control, or an assignee or an employee of an assignee.

3.16 "Off farm packhouse": means permanent packing facilities located on primary
production sites/farms and associated cold storage facilities involved in the
packing of all products of plant origin coming from that farm and from other farm,
OR not located on primary production sites/farms involved in the packing of all
products of plant origin that are not subjected to semi-processing or processing
procedures, destined for export;

3.17 "On-farm cold storage": means cold storage facilities located on primary pro-
duction sites/farms involved in the handling, storage and distribution of products
of plant origin coming from only that farm, which are intended for export. These
are facilities that serve as cooling and holding stores or are associated with on-
farm packhouses;
Note: These FBO types do not have to register for an FBO code.

3.18 "On-farm packhouse": means permanent packing facilities and associated cold
storage facilities located on primary production sites/farms involved in the
packing of all products of plant origin coming from only that farm, that are not
subjected to semi-processing or processing procedures, destined for export;

3.19 "Processing plant": means a factory where the plant product is subjected to a
process which alters its original state and the product is graded/classified and
packed, and in this context means canning of fruit and vegetables, freezing of
fruit and vegetables, pasteurization and packing of rooibos and honey bush tea
and cleaning, sorting and packing of dried fruit;

3.20 "Retail distribution centre": means local retailer depots used for the collating of
product and picking of orders for stores of the retailer, which might be outside the
borders of the RSA, and will thus be regarded as exporting of product.

3.21 "Seaport terminal": means facilities that are concerned with the receiving,
stacking, storage and loading of export palletized and containerised perishable
cargo;

3.22 "Silo": means the bins used for bulk storage of grain destined for export;

3.23 "Transport operator": means transport companies involved in the transportation

of products of plant origin, which are intended for export. This refers to transport
that is used for example, from the packhouse to the commercial cold storage
facility, depots or terminals etc. This excludes on-farm transport (e.g. from the
orchard to the packhouse) and the transport of empty containers.
Note: On-farm cold storage are not treated as a separate FBO and are assumed
to be operating under the on-farm packhouse code.

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4. REFERENCE TO REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER INTERNA-
TIONAL DOCUMENTS

4.1 All relevant current S.A. Directives and export standards and requirements shall
be adhered to at all times.

4.2 South African "Standards regarding the food hygiene and food safety of regu-
lated agricultural food products of plant origin destined for export" - R707 of
13 May 2005.

4.3 SOP on Sampling and Analysis of Agricultural products of plant origin destined
for export to determine agro chemical residue levels and risk assessment as part
of export inspection and certification in terms of the Agricultural Products
Standards Act.

4.4 SOP on Official Export certification of regulated agricultural products of plant

origin destined for export in terms of the Agricultural Products Standards Act.

5. ALLOCATION PROCESS

5.1 All new FBO's handling regulated produce of plant origin destined for export must
apply for a valid FBO code with the DoA (Department of Agriculture).

5.2 This will be done by accessing the departmental website address

www.nda.agric.za/docs/plantquality/default.htm or on request from DoA or
assignee, and completing the "Application for Allocation of Codes for Food
Business Operators" form, and submitting it to the fax, e-mail address or postal
address as indicated on the application form.

5.3 The FBO must supply the DoA with all valid supporting documentation with
regards to this allocation, i.e. commercial certificates for Globalgap, Nature's
Choice, HACCP, BRC, ISO 22000 etc.

5.4 A separate registration form must be completed for each FBO type or code
applied for. When an FBO owner has more than one FBO type, each FBO type
must receive a separate allocated code, i.e. farm, on-farm packhouse.

5.5 Exporters of seasonal products, and which might not be aware whether they will
be exporting for the coming season, may indicate that they intend to export,
although they may not be.

5.6 FBO's (packhouses, processing plants etc.) must stipulate what FBO's producers
will be supplying them with product, and also what FBO's they will be supply to
(transporters/exporters).

5.7 The DoA will verify the submitted detail, and allocate a unique code to the
applicant. This verification might entail:

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 5.7.1 An administrative verification/control process, whereby the process
described on the application are verified with the type of FBO's to be
allocated, e.g. an FBO can not allocate both an Off-farm packhouse and a
commercial cold store, as the commercial cold store activities and
requirements are already covered within the off-farm packhouse
requirements.

5.7.2 A verification whereby the process and FBO's to be allocated might be

done telephonically.

5.7.3 The DoA to request the PPECB or APIS to verify the allocation detail on
site.

5.8 This allocated code will then be communicated to the applicant within 10 working
days from day of application, either by fax or e-mail.

5.9 All mandatory fields within the application must be completed, for the application
to be processed. Applications that are not completed will be returned to the
applicant within 2 working days from the day of receipt of the application.

5.10 On successful application, the DoA will:

5.10.1 process the application on the internal DoA access database;

5.10.2 publish all updates on a fortnightly basis on the FBO database;
and
5.10.3 copy PPECB with new allocations per e-mail on a weekly basis.

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Diagram 1: FBO & Special market registration process flow

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6. UPDATE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE FBO DATABASE

6.1 The DoA will call for a yearly mandatory update of the FBO information on the
FBO database. All FBO's will be required to either confirm amendment or re-
register existing information on the FBO database. Annexure A must be
completed if no details have changed.

6.2 These mandatory updates will be done in allocated time slots per product
categories.

6.3 FBO's that have not updated their detail in the allocated time slot, will be made
in-active on the database, and will not be allowed to operate under these out-
dated codes.

6.4 When a FBO's detail, outside of these updating slots, changes, it is the FBO's
responsibility to update the information with the DoA.

6.5 The PPECB and APIS will, when conducting quality inspections and food safety
audits, verify the FBO allocations and initiate an update with DoA: FSQA.

7. ACCESS TO THE FBO DATABASE

7.1 All FBO's can access the FBO database on the following website address:
www.nda.agric.za/docs/plantquality/default.htm. Here the FBO owner, FBO
name, FBO code and FBO type can be viewed.

8. USE OF THE FBO CODES

8.1 According to the product standards and requirements for all regulated products,
the outer containers exported must be marked with the relevant farm (PUC) or
packhouse (PHC) code. The PHC code can only be allocated on the outer
container if the packhouses or processing facilities can prove that they have a
system in place whereby they can identify individual growers or producers to the
facility.

8.2 This code must be indicated as prescribed by the relevant product standards and
requirements. This implies the FBO code for fresh fruit and vegetables and the
factory code for canned, frozen fruit and vegetables, and dried fruit.

8.3 Processors of rooibos and honey bush tea must indicate the code either as FBO
code followed by the allocated number, or indicate the FBO number at the end of
the lot identification on the product outer containers.

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9. ROLE-PLAYERS, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

NO. KEY BUSINESS PROCESS KEY PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES INPUT OUTPUT RESP. DOC REQ.
MEASURE
1. Allocation process
1.1 All new FBO's must register Exporting producers 100% of all exporting FBO allocation Allocated FBO's FBO FBO
with the DoA identified during export FBO's to register. application
certification form
1.2 Completing of the application No of returned applications 100% accurately FBO information No delays in the FBO FBO
form and supply of supporting to the FBO completed applications allocation process application
documentation form
1.3 Processing new application Processing time: Once per 100% of applications FBO application Uniquely allocated DoA: FBO
for FBO codes within 10 fortnight processed within code FSQA application
working days from receipt of measure communicated to form
information the applicant
1.4 Verification of the application No wrongly allocated No duplication of codes FBO allocation Accurate DoA n/a
detail codes & no allocation errors database
1.5 Update of the FBO database 5 working days 100% of applications FBO allocation Updated FBO DoA n/a
with new allocations updated on website database to be
within the 5 working used by FBO's
days and assignee
1.6 Verification of FBO detail on Verification of FBO detail 100% accurate FBO Database Accurate PPECB, n/a
site whilst conducting food information on database database APIS
safety audits
1.7 Copy of all new applications 100% updates according 100% of applications FBO allocations All updates DoA: Completed
to PPECB to the DoA FBO database and updates copied to and updates received by FSQA and appro-
have been received PPECB PPECB ved new
applications
received
2. Update and maintenance of FBO database
2.1 Call for mandatory yearly All FBO's to update or 100% updated Update of FBO Accurate DoA n/a
updates of all FBO confirm their information information information database
information within the indicated time
slot

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NO. KEY BUSINESS PROCESS KEY PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES INPUT OUTPUT RESP. DOC REQ.
MEASURE
2.2 FBO's that have not updated Unauthorised FBO's 100% updated Updates received Updated FBO DoA n/a
information will be made in- isolated with the Export information from the manda- database
active on the database certification process tory updates
2.3 Verification of FBO detail on Verification of FBO detail 100% accurate FBO Database Accurate PPECB, n/a
site whilst conducting food information on database database APIS
safety audits
3. Use of FBO Codes
3.1 All outer containers of PPECB EPI and inland 100% Compliance FBO Database Traceable FBO / Product
produce destined for export rejections containers/ PPECB / standards
must comply with the product products DoA and re-
standards and requirements quirements.
Non com-
pliance
FBO's

10. REVIEW

The SOP will be reviewed annually, or when a mandatory update is required.

11. RECORDS

All records as stated in this SOP shall be kept for a period of two years and in accordance of DoA archive procedure.

12. AMENDMENT RECORD

AMENDMENT NO. ENTERED BY DATE

1 J.M. Wessels/T.M. Chipane 15/04/2008

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 ANNEXURE A

CONTACT PERSON(S) FROM THE DoA AND PPECB

CONTACT PERSONS FROM THE DoA:

Contact person(s) Products Contact details

Hanlie Wessels Divisional manager: Fresh fruit and flowers Tel. (012) 319-6058
Bernard Magagula Deciduous fruit Tel. (012) 319-6512
David Malan Divisional manager: Animal and processed Tel. (012) 319-6049
products
Niel Earsmus Dried fruit Tel. (012) 319-6027
Theo van Rensburg Frozen fruit and vegetables Tel. (012) 319-6020
Anne-Marie Bourquin Honeybush and Rooibos Tel. (012) 319-6059
Billy Makhafola Divisional manager: Agronomy and Vegetables Tel. (012) 319-6023
Thompson Mahumani Grains and vegetables Tel. (012) 319-6387
Mooketsi Mosome Grains and vegetables Tel. (012) 319-6334

CONTACT PERSONS FROM PPECB:

Contact person(s) Products Contact details

Dawn Diergaardt Programme Manager: Official Food Safety Audits Tel. (021) 872-4566
Estelle Visser Standards Co-ordinator Tel. (021) 930-1134
Lindy Groenewald Programme Manager: Food Safety Tel. (021) 930-1134

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 ANNEXURE B
EXPORT STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS REGARDING PRODUCTS
(No. R. 1983 of 23 August 1991 as amended by Notice 1174 of 26 November 1993 and Notice 1171 of 22 July
2005)

PRODUCTS IN RESPECT OF WHICH EXPORT STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN STIPULATED

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A. Animal deciduous cut
products fruit flow
C-3 ers
A-1 Avocados and
Dairy C-4 fres
products Litchis h
A-2 C-5 orna
Meat Mangos men
A-3 C-6 tal
Poultry meat Pineapples folia
A-4 C-7 ge
Eggs Strawberries F-2
A-5 C-8
Karakul pelt Melons and Chinkerinchees
A-6 watermelons F-3
Hides and C-9 Ornithogalum
skins Kiwifruit bulbs
C-10. F-4
B. Processed Papayas Proteas
products C-11.
Granadillas G. Grain and
B-1 C-12. agronomy products
Apricot and Guavas
peach kernels C-13 G-1
B-2 Cactus pears Buckwheat
Frozen fruit C-14 G-2 Dry
and vegetables Green beans
B-3 bananas G-3
Dried fruit Grass seeds
B-4 D. Deciduous G-4
Canned fruit Groundnuts
vegetables G-5
B-5 D-1 Grain
Canned fruit Apples sorghum
B-6 D-2 G-6 Oil
Canned Apricots seeds
mushrooms D-3 G-7
B-7 Grapes Table Wheat
Canned food grapes G-8
B-8 D-4 Maize
Rooibos tea Cherries G-9
Rooibos and rooibos D-5 Maize
Pears products
mixtures D-6 G-10
B-9. Peaches and Maize:
Jam, jelly nectarines Lesser known types
and marmalade D-7 G-11
B-10. Plums and Leguminous
Canned prunes seeds
pasta products D-8. G-12
B-11. Tobacco
Honeybush Persimmons G-13
and green Feed
products
honeybush G-14
Vegetables
C. Citrus and F. Flowers G-15
subtropical fruit Potatoes
F-1 G-16
C-1 Flowers Onions
Citrus fruit (excluding G-17.
C-2 Chi Popcorn
Fruit, nker G-18.
excluding citrus and inch Soya beans
certain ees)
Fres
h
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