Hon Andrew Hoggard
Minister for Food Safety

New research is underway to support better targeted food safety rules for commercial and recreational deer hunters, says Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard.

Under current food safety rules, deer cannot be killed and supplied for food processing within a two-kilometre buffer zone of a brodifacoum bait station and the restrictions remain in place for three years after the poison is laid.

“These rules make large areas of land unavailable to commercial hunters for extended periods of time. I’m not going to take any shortcuts with food safety, but we need to make sure any rules that limit what people can do are supported by good evidence,” says Mr Hoggard.

“We know the science is always evolving. This research programme will bring the latest information and evidence to bear so we can make better targeted decisions and potentially move away from the current one-size-fits-all model.”

The research will also support New Zealand’s trade assurances with importing countries, he said.

“We have a hard-won and excellent reputation as an exporter of safe, high-quality meat products. This is the kind of research that helps to underpin that reputation, which is so important to our economy.”

The Bioeconomy Science Institute and Lincoln University will work together on the research, and the team will include experts in deer behaviour, toxicology, statistical modelling and bait station design.

“The research is set to be completed by November, and my officials will carefully review it for any insights that would require changes to the rules.”

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