Update from Vincent Arbuckle, DDG, NZFS

Kia ora koutou,

For the 17th year running, New Zealand Food Safety proudly sponsored and presented at the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health (NZIEH) Annual Professional Development Conference this month.

This year's conference theme was 'Our health, our future.' New Zealand Food Safety staff presented on the Simply Safe and Suitable template Food Control Plan specialist cards, and on the compliance and enforcement approach across co-regulators under the Food Act 2014, illustrated through a case study. 

There are over 300 environmental health professionals in New Zealand who play a key role in our food safety system ensuring the food we eat is safe and suitable. This annual conference provides an opportunity for members to meet, learn and exchange knowledge.

I continue to be impressed by the hard work and dedication of our food industry and co-regulatory partners. You work goes a long way to ensure the integrity of the food safety system. Thank you to all environmental health professionals for the important work you do every day.

Ngā mihi nui,

Vincent Arbuckle
Deputy Director-General, New Zealand Food Safety

My Food Plan 

Please remind businesses registered under My Food Plan that they must start using the following cards by 30 April 2026.

• ‘Ensuring your water is suitable’ (replaces ‘Suitable water') [PDF, 380 KB]  
• ‘Allergens and knowing what is in your food or drink’ (replaces ‘Knowing what’s in your food’) [PDF, 382 KB]
• ‘Recalling your food or drink’ (replaces ‘Recalling your food’) [PDF, 287 KB]

The full My Food Plan has changes on all pages, and they can replace their whole plan if they wish.

Young Enterprise Schemes making and selling food

It’s that time of year again! Some high school students taking part in the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) may set up food businesses.  

Territorial Authorities can support these YES food businesses as follows:

• Direct them to the My Food Rules tool on MPI’s website so they can understand what safety requirements apply to their business.
• Remind them that businesses must meet relevant food safety rules, and to take care with higher risk or complex processes. They may wish to use an appropriately registered contract manufacturer to ensure products meet required standards.
• Highlight that there is an option to apply for exemption from registration if they would normally need to register under a Food Control Plan or a National Programme.

For more information on exemptions from the Food Act, see the MPI website: Food businesses seeking an individual exemption from operating with a Food Control Plan or National Programme.

New feature

The Food Safety Academy was updated last week to add a new feature to help users navigate between pages. The Academy menu will make it much faster to find what you are looking for. This change is part of our continuing work to make the Academy more user friendly and respond to priorities identified by our users in the survey completed in December 2025/January 2026.

Evaluation Webinar

On 18 February the Shared Services team ran the first Evaluation Webinar, attended by 126 people including evaluators and verifiers. This webinar was recorded and is available to view for Academy users on the New Zealand Food Safety Event Resources page.

2026 Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award

Some companies and individuals go above and beyond to improve and implement food safety practices in New Zealand.

As part of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) Food Industry Awards, the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award, recognises and celebrates those who have made improvements or developments to food safety in New Zealand.

Nominations for this award are open until Friday 29 May 2026. We welcome nominations from those who demonstrate a positive contribution to food safety in New Zealand and work within any sector in the country’s food industry.

We encourage you to spread the word with your networks.

Visit the awards page for more information, including a link to the online entry form.

Keep yourself, family, and friends safe from life-threatening listeriosis

New Zealand Food Safety is sharing some simple guidance to prevent people getting Listeriosis. The aim is to support the public and businesses to reduce the risk of this foodborne illness.

Listeriosis is caused by eating or drinking food with high levels of Listeria, a bacterium that is widespread in the environment. Listeria is invisible, has no odour and, unlike most bacteria, can continue to grow when food is refrigerated.

Infections in healthy adults are unlikely to be severe, but listeriosis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour, stillbirth, or disease in newborns.

As you age – and particularly over 65 – your immune system gets weaker. This means foods you safely ate in the past may no longer be safe for you to eat.

Look out for our current awareness campaign so you can share it with businesses or others in your area who may not know the life-threatening risks.

To find out more about listeriosis, check out the MPI webpage Listeria infection: symptoms and advice.