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Welcoming WIN2D
We're very excited to give you an update about two innovative new tools to help New Zealand (NZ) food businesses meet their regulatory requirements through one plan across multiple Acts. In short, this means ‘One business, One Plan, One Verifier’ is another step closer.
Thanks to feedback from councils and food businesses across NZ, we’ve designed two easy-to-use tools to help businesses find what they need to do under the Food Act and to create their own custom Food Control Plans (FCPs).
What I Need To Do (WIN2D) is an advanced, multi-purpose online tool that covers the Food Act 2014, Wine Act 2003 and Animal Products Act 1999. As a key output of WIN2D, we've built a custom FCP option for businesses – called My Food Plan. This free plan is designed to take the 'fear factor' out of developing a custom FCP.
We’re planning to go live with WIN2D on this page in late February with an official launch in March.
Read more.
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What WIN2D means for TAs
The new online tool What I Need To Do (WIN2D) aims to provide businesses with a single and engaging customer journey, with a clear outcome, to meet food rules.
The WIN2D system is designed so that food businesses, through a simple online questionnaire, will find out everything they need to know about what food rules they need to follow. WIN2D will support businesses by delivering the correct plan or programme. We strongly recommend that, once available, you use the tool to guide your own decision making about which sector(s) a business fits into and which plan or programme is right for them.
WIN2D should make the Food Act registration process easier for Territorial Authorities, as the tool will generate most of the information that a business needs to register (including a pre-populated Scope of Operations form).
Read more.
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Registration
Most New Zealand (NZ) food businesses have now registered for the 28 February 2019 Food Act deadline which is excellent!
Many thanks to local councils and industry organisations who are working hard to help all remaining businesses meet the deadline.
Owners and/or managers of all NZ food businesses, who have not registered yet, are urged to find out immediately if they need to register a plan or programme under the Food Act 2014.
If existing food businesses are not registered by the 28 February deadline, they will be operating unregistered businesses.
Territorial Authorities, can you please continue to promote the registration deadline, including by social media. We’ve developed a number of graphics (like this one), key messages and a short video that you can share. For copies of these resources, email us.
Read more.
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Outstanding Evaluation Non-Conformances
We are now past the 20 working days that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Approvals team requires to assess and register custom Food Control Plans (FCPs) in time for the 28 February 2019 registration deadline. We have had some questions with regards to evaluations being carried out past this time and what to do if there are outstanding non-conformances to close out.
If as the evaluator, you think that a business has some areas that need improvement – but that they are making safe and suitable food, and are working with you to have a valid FCP – then it may be appropriate to recommend conditions of registration in order to submit the evaluation report to MPI for registration.
However, if you have a sense that the business is not making safe and suitable food, or is not willing to make or adjust their plan to make it valid, then the evaluation report cannot be submitted for registration yet. Enforcement action may be taken if the plan is not registered by the transition deadline.
Read more.
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Template Food Control Plans Web Update
Last year we revealed some significant changes to our Food Act web pages, including to help you access the new Template Food Control Plans (FCPs).
We’ve now further updated: Template FCPs with a link to translations; Steps to an industry-developed Template FCP with links to more organisations that have developed FCPs; and Requirements with new Food Notices.
We’re looking to make the New Zealand Food Safety web site more user friendly by restructuring the content and improving findability of information. We welcome any feedback you have to improve these food safety pages via foodactinfo@mpi.govt.nz.
Read more.
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Introducing Damien – Food Act Liaison Team
As part of the new Food Act Liaison Team, we are profiling individual team members, so you can better understand who they are and their area of focus.
We’re introducing Wellington-based Damien Cleland, our Specialist Advisor Local Government Liaison. Damien is looking after the customer journey for new food businesses. His aspiration is to work with councils, and other destinations that new food businesses seek information from, by helping to provide a consistent approach that will make their journey to compliance as smooth and uncomplicated as possible.
Damien can be contacted at: Damien.Cleland@mpi.govt.nz.
Read more.
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Exemption from Registration
New guidance on Exemption from Registration has been posted on the Food Safety Toolkit and Exemptions from Plans or Programmes web pages.
In this guidance, you can find out if a business is already exempt from registration for the Food Act 2014, when they could apply for an exemption and when an exemption application is unlikely to be approved.
Under the Food Act, some food businesses and community groups are not required to operate under a Food Control Plan or a National Programme. These are usually low-risk businesses or sell food for charity. Exempt businesses are still required to make food that is safe and suitable.
Read more.
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Te Matatini 2019
To engage with Māori-owned food businesses and promote food safety to consumers, we’re excited to be attending the 2019 Te Matatini Kapa Haka Festival (20-24 February, at the Westpac Trust Stadium, Wellington).
Te Matatini is a significant cultural festival and the pinnacle event for Māori performing arts. It is held every two years and is one of the most highly anticipated events for performers, their whānau, and the mass of passionate kapa haka fans throughout the world. Hosted in a different city each time, the festival draws thousands of people.
Members of our New Zealand Food Safety team will be joining the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) trade site. If you’re attending the event, drop by the MPI site and talk with us about the Food Act, and other topics such as Customary Fisheries.
Read more.
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Food Act at NZIEH Conference
If you’re going to the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health Annual Professional Development Conference (Dunedin, 20-22 March 2019), come and catch up with the New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) team.
The 2019 conference theme ‘Together Towards Tomorrow’ reflects industry changes, such as the end of the Food Act transition period and how all agencies must work together.
Day Two (21 March) of the conference will spotlight food safety where a team of Territorial Authority and NZFS officers are presenting a series of sessions, including new tools for food businesses and a soft launch of the Continuing Professional Development programme for Food Act verifiers.
Read more.
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Know Someone Who’s Not Getting Food News?
This newsletter is aimed at councils, verifiers and food safety officers working under the Food Act. If you have colleagues in these roles, please make sure they have access to this information. Although we communicate in other ways as well, Food News is the official source of information about the Food Act.
To subscribe, your colleagues can click here to Sign up for Food News. To read previous editions of the newsletter, scroll down to the Food News section on this page.
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