What B-QUAL Australia does

B-QUAL Australia Pty Ltd is a quality assurance certification body serving the Australian honey bee industry. The company was established by the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) to accredit and adopt a quality assurance program covering more than 90% of Australian honey production for both domestic and export markets. Its core offering is the B-QUAL Certification Program, a HACCP-based food safety certification aligned with FSANZ Food Safety Standards and meeting European Union honey export requirements. The program includes training manuals, self-assessment documents, QA templates, auditor training materials, and a Honey Quality Standard booklet.

The program is administered by Safe Food Australia as the National Service Provider (NSP), which handles self-assessment marking and conducts third-party enterprise audits on a biennial or annual basis. B-QUAL also offers B-TRACE, a complementary hive management mobile application that supports traceability and compliance documentation from apiary to consumer. Membership is structured around subscription-based certification with an annual billing cadence, currently promoted at a 25% discount on first-year membership fees. Revenue is generated through certification and membership fees, training materials, and audit charges.

B-QUAL serves commercial and hobbyist beekeepers across Australia engaged in honey production, queen bee breeding, pollination services, and honey packing. The organization is governed by a board including representatives from NSW, VIC, and QLD, and operates as a national service provider with its primary contact in Queensland. The company functions more as an industry-owned standards body than a conventional commercial enterprise, with operational reach extended through partnerships with Safe Food Australia, ANU, AgriFutures, and industry sponsors CMV Group and Steritech.

Name

B-QUAL Australia

Legal name

B-QUAL Australia Pty Ltd

Website

https://bqual.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

B-QUAL Australia is an industry-owned quality assurance certification program for the Australian honey bee industry, providing HACCP-based food safety certification, third-party auditing via Safe Food Australia, and complementary traceability tools to over 300 beekeepers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Safety Certification

NAICS

Apiculture (11291), Apiculture (112910)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Management System Certification (Food Safety + Quality/Environment/OHS) (AFALACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accredited Certification Bodies (CBs) – ISO 22000/FSSC 22000/BRCGS/SQF (AFALACAA), Supplier & Co-Manufacturer Verification (Approval, Audits, Compliance) (AFALAGAC), Supplier Quality Assurance & Vendor Approval Programs (AFALALAB)

Keywords

• Food safety certification
• Quality assurance programs
• Beekeeping industry standards
• Honey production compliance
• Third-party audit services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification and Membership Fees: B-QUAL generates revenue through certification fees for the quality assurance program. Enterprises pay for training manuals, certification packs, and undergo audits conducted by Safe Food Australia contractors. The site mentions a 25% discount on first-year membership fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

B-QUAL Australia operates an industry-owned quality assurance certification program for the Australian honey bee industry, providing HACCP-based food safety certification, training manuals, self-assessment tools, and biennial or annual third-party audits administered by Safe Food Australia. The program ensures compliance with FSANZ Food Safety Standards and EU honey export requirements, enabling market access domestically and internationally. A complementary offering, B-TRACE, provides a mobile hive management application supporting traceability and record-keeping from apiary to consumer.

Product overview

B-QUAL Australia operates as a quality assurance certification body for the Australian honey bee industry. The core offering is the B-QUAL Certification Program, which provides food safety certification, training, and third-party auditing services to beekeepers and honey producers. A complementary offering is the B-TRACE QA and Food Safety Program, which includes a dedicated hive management app for traceability and compliance tracking. Together, these products enable operators to demonstrate compliance with food safety standards and access both domestic and export markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• B-TRACE: Hive management app and QA and Food Safety Program for beekeepers focused on traceability, record-keeping, and compliance

Products and services

• B-QUAL Certification Program Industry quality assurance program for Australian honey bee producers providing HACCP-based food safety certification, third-party audits, and compliance with FSANZ Food Safety Standards and EU export standards.
• B-QUAL Training Materials Training manual, self-assessment documents, QA templates, and auditor training materials provided to participants for completing the B-QUAL certification process.
• B-TRACE QA and Food Safety Program Complementary traceability and food safety program with a dedicated hive management app that enables beekeepers to track and monitor every aspect of honey production from apiary to consumer.
• B-TRACE Hive Management App Mobile application for beekeepers to manage hive records, track production, and maintain food safety documentation supporting B-TRACE certification compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of Australian honey production quality assured
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAHBIC is the parent organization that established B-QUAL Australia Pty Ltd to own and govern the quality assurance program. AHBIC provides industry leadership and represents the broader honey bee industry interests.
• Safe Food AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers the B-QUAL program as the National Service Provider (NSP). Conducts self-assessment marking, audits enterprises through contracted auditors, and issues certifications. Contact for audits: [email protected]
• Australian National University (ANU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch consortium partner leading the Australian Colony Loss Survey (COLOSS) in collaboration with AHBIC and AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program to track Varroa mite impact and colony health.
• AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the National Varroa Transition to Management Program, managing the colony loss survey alongside AHBIC and ANU to support industry research and monitoring.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AUS-QUAL (AUS-MEAT): Australian industry-owned QA program for the red meat sector. Highly comparable to B-QUAL as an industry-body-owned certification program offering HACCP-based food safety certification, third-party audits, and member-based fee structure for a specific agricultural vertical.
• Australian Certified Organic: Australia's largest organic certification body, providing third-party audit and certification to organic standards. Comparable as an Australian certification body performing audits, training, and compliance verification for producers.
• Safe Food Australia: National Service Provider (NSP) administering B-QUAL's audits and certification. Operates as an adjacent QA service provider in Australian food safety, directly comparable in certification delivery model and audit methodology.

Broad incumbents

• SAI Global: Major global certification and standards body with significant Australian operations across food safety, quality, and risk management. Comparable as a provider of accredited certification, audit, and training services, though operating across many industries beyond B-QUAL's apiary focus.
• Control Union: Global certification body specializing in agricultural commodities and food safety. Comparable in providing third-party audits, certifications, and traceability solutions for agricultural producers, including in Australia.
• NSF International: Global public health and safety organization offering food safety certification, auditing, and training. Comparable in operating HACCP-aligned certification programs for the food industry across multiple geographies.
• GlobalG.A.P. Worldwide standard for farm assurance covering food safety, sustainability, and worker welfare. Comparable as a third-party certification scheme targeting primary producers in agriculture, with potential overlap in apiary standards.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with significant agri-food operations in Australia. Comparable in providing food safety audits and certifications across primary production sectors.
• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company. Comparable as a global incumbent offering food safety audits, certification, and training services, including for primary producers in Australia.

Regional players

• AsureQuality: New Zealand government-owned food safety and biosecurity assurance body. Comparable as an industry-owned QA/certification provider covering primary production, food safety, and biosecurity standards in a trans-Tasman market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xlinkedin.com/company/b-qual-australia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b-qual-australia

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about B-QUAL Australia