Click below to download a printable PDF version
New Zealand Macadamia Accreditation Standards for quality kernel.
Prepared by Virginia Warren and modified by David Clee
with input from growers since the 2010 NZ Mac Soc Inc AGM
Introduction
• The purpose of MacAcc is to demonstrate to nut-buyers that New Zealand macadamia growers produce quality kernel through good orchard practice and processing. • The intention is for MAC-ACC to serve as an aid to growers, not a barrier
Intent of Mac-ACC
• To encourage New Zealand macadamia growers to produce quality kernel through good orchard and processing practices.
• To establish a quality symbol that will give a commercial advantage to orchardists following good orchard and processing practices.
• To establish a quality symbol the public will associate with a reliably high quality product.
• To encourage New Zealand macadamia growers to produce quality kernel through good orchard and processing practices.
• To establish a quality symbol that will give a commercial advantage to orchardists following good orchard and processing practices.
• To establish a quality symbol the public will associate with a reliably high quality product.
• To establish an accreditation process that does not intimidate growers and processors and has ongoing input from all involved in the production of an accredited quality product.
Introduction of Mac-ACC
• The MAC-ACC will be introduced over three years • year 1, guidelines with a year end review
• year 2, recommended standards with a year end review • year 3, implementation of the standard with an annual review of effectiveness each year Achievement of Mac-ACC • Agreed criteria must be met by the grower/processor.
• Verification must be made by independent validation.
• By year 3 the process will include a validation, an independent auditor, appointed annually by NZMS..
• The grower/processor may be awarded a ‘Mac-Acc tick’. • Year 1 of the MAC-ACC commenced April 1st 2010 and it is the intention that it is used by all members.
for growers:
ACHIEVING QUALITY KERNEL THROUGH EFFECTIVE ORCHARD PRACTICE
• Date of review ............................................
• Name ......................................................
• Trading as ..............................................
• Orchard site ................................
• Orchard Post Code...........
Year One. 2010 Orchardist to tick and date points achieved.
Year Two. 2011 Neighbour or other macadamia grower to sign and date points achieved.
Year Three. 2012 NZMS appointed auditor to sign and date points achieved
Pre Harvest
• Pest control baits or poisons could not contaminate nuts.
• A record was kept of fungicides, pesticides and herbicides used
• Maturity tests were taken and recorded.
Harvesting
• Dropping varieties were harvested every 7 days.
• During harvesting the nuts were not dropped more than 2 metres on to hard surfaces.
• Nuts were not left in direct sunlight.
• Nuts were de husked on day of picking.
• Grazing animals were removed from orchard 3 months before droppers were harvested.
• Tree harvested nuts were harvested onto mats/tarpaulins if grazing animals present.
• Harvesting was not carried out during rain.
• “A” varieties should be kept separate for processing
Post Harvest
• Nuts were dried under the following conditions
• Ambient air .................
• Heated air .....................
• Dehumidified air .................(silos can have heated, ambient or dehumidified air)
• Nuts were continually moved to a drier state and had free air circulation.
Mould
• There was no evidence of afloxins or other moulds on the nut in shell (NIS)
Vermin
• There was no evidence of pest infestation in the NIS storage facilities.
Contamination
• Pest control baits or poisons in NIS storage facilities could not contaminate any nuts.
Storage
• Nuts in Shell were stored in accordance with The Health and Safety Act, 2005.
for processors
Examination of shelled nuts by person responsible for quality control.
Achieving Quality Kernel
Health
• Handlers washed their hands before handing kernel
Unsound Kernel (USK)
• Basal discolouration, suture lines and discoloured kernel was less than 5%
• There was no evidence of brown or pink staining in the centre of the nut.
• There was no evidence of shrivelled or immature kernel, sponginess or depressions in the kernel
• Adhered skin is evident on less than 5% of the sample.
• Evidence of insect damage was less than 2%
Independent taster assurances
• In terms of taste,
• there was no rancidity or off odour
• descriptors such as ‘stale’, ‘sour’, ‘floury’, soft’, ‘soapy’, ‘burnt’ or ‘immature’ cannot be applied
• kernel was best described as ‘crunchy’, ‘hard’ ‘brittle’ and ‘best taste’ or similar.
Criteria for taste test
• 8 Like extremely. Amongst the best ever tasted
• 7 Like very much. Obvious quality
• 6 Like moderately
• 5 Like slightly
• 4 Dislike slightly
• 3 Dislike moderately
• 2 Dislike very much
• 1 Dislike extremely
Taste rating
• As a result the independent taster rated the kernel as a ‘7’ or above for both appearance and taste on the attached Hedonic scale.
• This standard was achieved is by visual observation, tasters’ agreement and fulfilment of each of the criteria.
Rating
• OVERALL RATING FOR KERNEL APPEARANCE (Colour, size, shape,)..........................................
• OVERALL RATING FOR FLAVOUR (taste, texture etc).............................
• Quality kernel is that which is free of blemishes, has a crunchy texture and a taste that has agreement of being amongst the best available in New Zealand.
Evidence of the Production of Quality Macadamia Nut Kernel
• As a result of total fulfilment of all of the above criteria, which has been confirmed by both the processor and an independent verifier,
• product from ................................... orchard is awarded a Mac-Acc tick,
• effective for one year, from ......................... to ................................
Signed off
• This may be indicated by the use of the Mac-Acc symbol on all product relating to the sample of nuts from which evidence of quality was obtained during the above dates.
• Signed ............................................. Auditor (Appointed by Macadamia NZ)
