Hon Damien O’Connor

Minister for Food Safety

19 July 2018 – EMBARGOED TILL NOON

MEDIA STATEMENT

Our food and wine businesses today welcome a trifecta of new food safety tools, designed to make it cheaper and easier to follow the rules and keep consumers safe.

Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor launched the Food Safety Toolkit, an updated Simply Safe & Suitable template Food Control Plan, and a new Food Safety Template for Winemakers in Wellington today.

“At the heart of these innovations was listening to what people need, and finding the simplest way to provide it, with a particular focus on removing compliance challenges faced by small and regional domestic food businesses.

“These tools, co-designed with industry, reflect a more modern and common-sense approach to food safety regulation.

“Winemakers who operate under two acts – the Wine Act and Food Act – now have the choice to operate under a single plan. In particular this helps wineries with cellar door tastings and a restaurant.

“Many of the 13,000 food businesses using a Food Control Plan have told us they’d like to sell food to other businesses as well as direct to consumers – this is what the updated Simply Safe & Suitable template Food Control Plan allows.

“But I’m most excited about the Food Safety Toolkit, which is an interactive guide for all businesses to keep the food they make safe. This will be sent to the 13,000 registered food businesses and to local councils for when new businesses register.

“Everyone has a role to play in food safety and in the spirit of manaakitanga, this Government cares for our food businesses as well as those they are feeding.

“Reorganising the Ministry for Primary Industries into business units earlier this year, including New Zealand Food Safety, has prompted a stronger focus on swift action for our vital food businesses around the country,” Damien O’Connor said.

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