With the discontinuation of the Productschap Akkerbouw (Product Board Arable Farming) as of 1st January 2014, the covenant with regard to Riskplaza has lapsed. Despite the lapsing of the covenant, the agreements on the status of Riskplaza have not changed in practice. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) will continue to use Riskplaza for its supervision activities in the manner previously agreed in the covenant.

As there no longer is a covenant, and the government only recognises quality management systems that have been accepted by Ketenborging (the Chain Guarantee System), Riskplaza has applied for acceptation by ketenborging.nl.

Ketenborging/Chain Guarantee System

Ketenborging.nl is an initiative of the Taskforce Voedselvertrouwen (Food Confidence Taskforce). This Taskforce was established in March 2013 by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports (Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport, VWS) and the State Secretary for Economic Affairs (Economische Zaken, EZ). In the Taskforce, the government and the business community worked together on measures to restore the consumer’s confidence in food.

Update 09-02-2018 – Riskplaza is now in the end stage of the Ketenborging.nl acceptance procedure. The NVWA has assessed the Riskplaza system and the implementation thereof and has given its approval. The Riskplaza scheme has been accepted by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA), which clears the way for accreditation by the certifying institutions. The NVWA will continue with the acceptance procedure as soon as the CBs have made arrangements with the RvA. We expect this procedure to be completed over the coming months. Until then, the current transitional arrangement will remain in force and Riskplaza will have been accepted by the NVWA within the context of info sheet 64.