B-QUAL, as the industry owned QA and Food Safety program, has been asked by various stakeholders to implement a low-cost program that offers small producers assistance with their record keeping obligations, and to give consumers confidence in their products and product traceability.

Consumers and Government departments are increasingly becoming aware of where food comes from and how it is produced.

It is recognised in the honey industry that quality standards, in relation to food safety are demanded by customers, and governments. It is necessary to comply with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) which requires food businesses to develop a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) based food safety program.

B-TRACE is designed for smaller enterprises to maintain readily available hive record information that satisfies the requirements of the National Biosecurity Code of Practice, including Extracting and Product records that are also required by legislation. A specially designed hive management web app has been developed to assist members with this record keeping.  The B-TRACE program is intended for small semi commercial and recreational beekeepers who sell to:

• Farmers Markets
• Direct to consumers
• Food stalls
• Boutique shops, such as Bakeries, Fruit and Vegetable, Delicatessens, Restaurants and similar
• Or, any other outlets

B-TRACE is an online desk audit program whereby members must undertake a desk audit once every 12 months. Upon completion of the desk audit a certificate number will be issued which will be your key to claiming to produce product to high industry standards and give verifiable proof to your customers of the provenance of your product. It is possible that the Auditor may select any member for an additional site audit to verify audit results.