Update from Vincent Arbuckle, Deputy Director-General, New Zealand Food Safety

Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to the July 2026 edition of Food News.

You may have seen that H5 bird flu (H5N1 avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b) was detected in New Zealand for the first time. The Ministry for Primary Industries, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Health, and Health New Zealand have been working with industry and local councils to prepare for H5 bird fu for some time.

It is safe to eat poultry and eggs. People cannot get the H5 bird flu virus from eating food. There is no evidence that people can be infected through eating poultry or eggs, but it remains important to continue practising good food handling and preparation techniques.

If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, report it immediately to the exotic pests and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 or online at report.mpi.govt.nz. More information about H5 bird flu is available on the MPI website: H5 bird flu.

In other news, I am proud to announce this year’s Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award winner Dr Tim Harwood for his work in the seafood safety sector. I was also fortunate to meet the teams at Formula Foods, Synlait, and Triple Treasures last week. These meetings highlighted not only the sheer amount of behind-the-scenes work required to support New Zealand's strong food safety system but also showed that we need to celebrate these contributions when we can.

My thanks to the verifiers as always. Your work is a crucial component of the system, and I am grateful for the hard work that you put in supporting businesses to thrive.

Ngā mihi nui,

Vincent Arbuckle
Deputy Director-General, New Zealand Food Safety

Updates to Simply Safe and Suitable food control plan

As part of the Food Act Improvement Programme, there are some upcoming changes to the Simply Safe and Suitable template food control plan (SSS).

Version 6 (S39-00006) includes changes to the ‘Thoroughly cooking food’, ‘Cooling and freezing freshly cooked food’, ‘Transporting food’ and ‘Packaging and labelling your food’ cards.

These changes allow food service and food retail businesses to make and sell chilled (with a shelf life of no more than 5 days) or frozen pre-cooked meals direct to consumers. The changes also clarify transport requirements already covered by SSS.

Businesses can also make sauces, preserves and jams under SSS if they use approved heat treatment or acidification methods.

We will notify you when Version 6 is ready. Thanks to those who were part of the targeted consultation on the changes.

Food safety basics - module 2 available now

The second module in the free eLearning series Food safety basics has been published on the MPI website (Food safety basics: online training modules | NZ Government)

This series covers good food safety practice for staff in food businesses in New Zealand. The second module is about personal hygiene. There are a further 4 modules in development to be published over the coming months.

To receive notifications when new Food safety basics modules are published, sign up to the Food Act 2014 email subscription topic on the subscribe to MPI page (Subscribe to MPI | NZ Government).

New exporting resources now available

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Exporter Help team have released three new resources to assist businesses that are thinking about or are just starting exporting food and fibre products.

If you work with a business thinking of exporting, or need support to export, please pass them the below guides and resources, or encourage them to contact the Exporter Help team by emailing exporterhelp@mpi.govt.nz.

Exporting food and fibre to Australia webinar

Australia is an important export destination for many New Zealand businesses and is often the first market exporters choose when starting their export journey.

The Exporting food and fibre to Australia webinar is designed for anyone wanting to learn more about exporting to the Australian market. It is now available on the Exporting webinars and Get Help with exporting webpages.

Exporting plant and plant products from New Zealand Guide

 The Exporting Plants, Plant Products and Regulated Articles guide outlines the key requirements for exporting plant and plant products from New Zealand for:

• producers;
• packing, processing, and storage facilities;
• transporters and freight forwarders; and
• exporters.

By meeting export requirements, businesses help protect New Zealand’s biosecurity and food safety systems and support our reputation as a trusted exporter.

New Beginner’s Guide to Exporting available

The Beginner’s Guide to Exporting supports new and early-stage exporters of food and fibre products.

If you work with businesses exploring whether exporting is right for their product this resource provides them a practical overview of what’s involved in exporting from New Zealand and highlights key requirements that may need to be met.

The guide will help to:

• understand whether export requirements may apply to a product;
• find the requirements that apply to a product and target market; and
• identify key steps and where to get help

Businesses can view the guide on the MPI website: Beginner’s Guide to Exporting Food and Fibre.

Continuing Professional Development Managers – time to check your dashboard

Just over two months remain in the 2025-2026 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) year, ending on 30 September 2026.

Verifiers that have left their role must be removed from the CPD programme, otherwise they will be counted as incomplete under your agency for the CPD year.

Log on to the Academy and visit the CPD Manager Dashboard to see the verifiers that are assigned to you. If there is anything that needs to be changed or updated, please email the Shared Services team at foodacttraining@mpi.govt.nz.

If any of your verifiers require extended leave from the CPD programme, let us know before 30 September. Check out the CPD Manager Guide for details.

Evaluation of unusual foods and processes

As a Recognised Evaluator, if you encounter a food product or process that appears unusual, novel, or outside the types of products and processes typically assessed, please notify MPI as soon as practicable.

This can include foods traditionally made elsewhere in the world but not common in New Zealand, or highly technical products/processes like novel foods.

Early notification helps us to determine whether any additional assessment, advice, or regulatory considerations may apply, and ensures a consistent approach across evaluations.

If you are unsure whether a product or process is unusual, we encourage you to contact MPI to discuss it.

Please email approvals@mpi.govt.nz if you need support and advice with the evaluation.

Food Residues Survey Programme (FRSP) 2026/27

New Zealand Food Safety’s Food Residues Survey Programme (FRSP) monitors agricultural chemical residues in commonly consumed plant-based foods grown in New Zealand and imported for sale, providing confidence that agricultural chemicals are being used in accordance with good agricultural practice and that New Zealand requirements are being met. The 2026/27 programme will collect samples from retail and distribution outlets throughout New Zealand and focus on the following commodity groups:

• Citrus fruits
• Berries and other small fruits
• Assorted tropical and sub-tropical fruits – inedible peel
• Fruiting vegetables – cucurbits
• Fruiting vegetables – other than cucurbits

Stay up to date with the Food Residues Survey Programme

To receive notifications about FRSP sampling plans, survey reports and other programme updates, subscribe to MPI's 'Food Act 2014' email topic through the Subscribe to MPI | NZ Government.

The 2026/27 Sampling Plan will be published shortly, and subscribers will be notified when it becomes available.

For more information, visit the Food Residues Survey Programme | NZ Government webpage or contact residues@mpi.govt.nz.

Find us at Bidfood’s Beyond the Plate trade shows

New Zealand Food Safety will be attending some of Bidfood’s regional trade shows. If any businesses in these areas are interested in free advice to help them understand food safety requirements, we will be at the following events:

Rotorua: 12-4pm, 10 August 2026 at Energy Events Centre, Queens Drive Government Gardens.

Auckland: 10am-3pm, 18 August 2026 at Auckland Showgrounds, 217 Green Lane West, Epsom.

Hamilton: 12-4pm, 27 August 2026 at Claudelands Event Centre, Corner of Brooklyn Road & Heaphy Terrace Claudelands.