The Netherlands is the worlds largest supplier of vegetable seeds. The seeds must be guaranteed free from diseases. Together with partners, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has established a contemporary recognition scheme: Laboratories Recognized for Export Seeds (LEEZ). The NVWA guarantees the health of the vegetable seeds based on tests by laboratories authorized by Naktuinbouw. Vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan received the first official recognition.
Dutch suppliers of vegetable seeds together hold more than half of the global trade in vegetable seeds. They must comply with the legal requirements for plant health of the receiving countries, in addition to the quality requirements of customers and those suppliers impose on themselves.
The NVWA is ultimately responsible for supervision of plant health, including the issuance of phytosanitary certificates. This also concerns the vegetable seeds that companies export from the Netherlands. For this export certification, the NVWA must declare that the vegetable seeds are free from diseases that the receiving country specifies in its own requirements. The NVWA works closely with the inspection service Naktuinbouw, which actually carries out supervision at, among others, vegetable seed companies.
Large volumes, many destinations
Since 14 December 2019, the European Union has imposed stricter requirements on the assurance of plant health supervision; the official control regulation and the Plant Health Regulation. The tests must be official or carried out under official supervision. The Netherlands exports large volumes of vegetable seeds to many destinations with diverse requirements. This demands a lot of flexible laboratory capacity. The breeding companies of vegetable seeds have this capacity available, for example because they need their labs due to their own quality requirements and those of customers. Naktuinbouw authorizes company laboratories for reliable research into the quality of the seed, in the quality system Naktuinbouw Authorized Laboratories (NAL).
Rijk Zwaan is first, other companies follow
The new recognition scheme for the use of company-owned test data for export certification for plant health (Laboratories Recognized for Export Seeds) fits seamlessly with this. Only Dutch companies with an NAL authorization for disease testing may apply for a LEEZ recognition. With this recognition, Dutch seed companies are allowed not only to sample and test themselves but also to have the results used for export certification. This ensures a smooth business process and efficiency.
Together with Naktuinbouw and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), the NVWA, in consultation with the business community, has developed a recognition scheme that is practically applicable for inspectors and companies, ensuring compliance with legal frameworks. Rijk Zwaan is the first company to meet this recognition scheme. At least seven other companies will follow.
Audits
Part of this scheme is that NVWA employees conduct so-called audits (recognition checks) to see how companies have secured their track and trace, so that a delivery of vegetable seeds can be continuously monitored and no mix-ups can occur. In addition, companies must describe how these systems function, so it can be verified whether all process steps are followed. Companies must also report to the NVWA if, for example, diseases are found in seeds. Naktuinbouw acts as the authorized body on behalf of the NVWA and periodically supervises these company laboratories, focusing on ensuring the reliability of company-owned test results used for export certification.
Noblesse oblige
The recognition lasts 5 years, after which a new recognition check (maintenance) is carried out. Corné van Alphen, chief plant health at the NVWA and director NPPO-NL (National Plant Protection Organization) says: ‘Noblesse oblige, also in the world of plant health. Not without reason, the Netherlands is the worlds largest supplier of vegetable seeds. This gives companies and supervisors great responsibility that the seeds are free from diseases. I am proud that we ensure this with this contemporary recognition scheme.’
More information
Consumers and companies can contact our Customer Contact Center.
