Update from Vincent Arbuckle, DDG, NZFS

Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to the June 2025 edition of Food News.

June has been a busy month for us here at New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS). Earlier this month, we celebrated World Food Safety Day and launched our Food safety at home booklet. The new booklet contains science-based food safety advice for avoiding foodborne illness in the home.

We also launched our new Food Importer Information pack. The information pack aims to help importers navigate the import process and provides an easy-to-follow checklist. The Food Importer information pack can be found on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website.

I also had the opportunity to visit Freshpork NZ, South Pacific Sera and Timaru District Council in Timaru, as part of my routine stakeholder engagements. It was great to meet with the team at Timaru District Council and discuss a range of topics.

I do hope you enjoyed celebrating Matariki last weekend. It’s a time to reflect, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. I am proud of the work NZFS has achieved in the first half of 2025 and we will continue our work to strengthen our food safety system.

Ngā mihi nui,

Vincent Arbuckle
Deputy Director-General, New Zealand Food Safety

Food Act template review

The Simply Safe & Suitable template Food Control Plan (SSS) and biltong consultation closed on 1 June 2025. We received 30 submissions and are considering amendments as appropriate.

In addition, the Food Act template review project team are developing training materials on making biltong safely. When completed, resources will be made available on Food Safety Academy, with additional guidance on the MPI website.

Food business registration requirements for food importers

NZFS is clarifying the requirements for registering as a food business for businesses who import and sell food in New Zealand.

Importers who only import shelf-stable, retail-ready food for sale (retail or wholesale), must register as a food importer. However, they do not need to register a risk-based measure for their food business under the Food Act 2014. Registered food importers have responsibilities under the Food Act, including ensuring the safe storage and transport of their imported food products.

Businesses who only import shelf-stable, retail-ready food for sale don’t need a National Programme 1, as they are exempt under Schedule 3. A National Programme 1 would be required if they also act as a storage and transport operator for other food businesses.

If the business conducts other activities, for example, selling chilled or frozen products, manufacturing or packing food, they must register under the correct risk-based measure as applicable under Schedule 1 or 2 of the Food Act.

To find out more about importing food, go to Importing food and beverages to New Zealand on the MPI website.

For food businesses selling shellfish: check your labelling and safety practices for Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a naturally occurring bacteria found in seawater, which can cause various types of illness if you eat raw or undercooked shellfish. Cases in New Zealand have risen since 2019, including outbreaks linked to commercially sold mussels. NZFS is working with the seafood industry to reduce risks.

Please advise food businesses selling shellfish to check their labelling or check with their suppliers. If they are unsure whether the shellfish has been labelled properly, please remind them to check with their suppliers. If cooking is required to ensure the shellfish is safe to eat, businesses must clearly inform customers using labels or signage. 

The source of cases in New Zealand are attributed to the consumption of commercially and recreationally caught fish, shellfish and crustaceans that are raw or partially cooked.

Information on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, including useful resources supporting food safety can be found here on the MPI website.

Enforcement under the Geographical Indications Registrations Act

As of 1 May 2024, new rules under the Geographical Indications Registrations Act 2006 (GI Act) came into effect. The change means that food businesses can’t use protected names from the European Union (such as Champagne or Feta) unless their product meets certain origin and quality standards.  

The GI Act amendment followed New Zealand and the EU’s free trade agreement, which included a provision that New Zealand will protect almost 2000 EU GIs, and EU will give similar protections to New Zealand GIs like Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Some exceptions and phase out periods apply, and misuse may lead to legal action. To find out more details about the new rules, go to the IPONZ website.

Prepare for your Continuing Professional Development peer review

With July around the corner, we will be in the final three months of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) year. This is a good time to start preparing to complete your peer review. In late July/early August, Shared Services – Capability will be running online sessions to walk through the peer review process, including the new and improved peer review template, and to answer any questions. Calendar invitations to the sessions will be sent out soon to verifiers and CPD managers.

CPD points cannot be claimed for conducting verifications

A reminder to verifiers that CPD points cannot be claimed for conducting verifications or any other day-to-day work activities. If you have claimed points in your timecard for verifications, you will need to remove these and complete learning activities that meet the criteria to claim points. Make sure to check out the Learning Activities and Points Guide to identify different types of activities, and contact the Shared Services team – Capability with any questions at foodacttraining@mpi.govt.nz

Consumer-level Food Recalls Annual Report 2024

The Consumer-level Food Recalls report for 2024 has been published.

The data within the report details trends in the consumer-level recalls undertaken in 2024. Allergens were the leading cause of consumer-level recalls last year, followed by biological hazards. 

This report is an important resource for food businesses to be aware of food-safety trends in order improve their systems and prevent future incidents. The report is valuable for consumer awareness and to demonstrate New Zealand’s food safety system is working.

Exporter Help

Our MPI Exporter Help team supports small and medium-sized New Zealand businesses at all points of their export journey.

The free service delivers personalised advice to businesses, develops educational resources, and works to share insights and minimise exporter challenges.

Exporter Help provides accurate information that makes it easier for businesses to navigate systems to export efficiently and avoid costly errors. If you are visiting food and fibre businesses that may benefit from the support of our Exporter Help team, please encourage them to get in touch.

Email exporterhelp@mpi.govt.nz 

Phone 0800 674 490

Website www.mpi.govt.nz/exporterhelp   

New Zealand Grass-Fed Standards now in effect

Formally launched at Fieldays 2025 by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Agriculture Minister Hon Todd McClay, the Grass-Fed Standards help New Zealand producers to demonstrate the quality of their farming system.

MPI, in conjunction with industry, has developed the New Zealand Grass-Fed Administrative Standards to give Government recognition to grass-fed claims for red meat and dairy products.

• The standard for dairy defines grass-fed as meaning animals have a diet comprised of at least 90 percent of the qualifying grass-fed feed types and are on pasture or forage crops, 340 days per year.
• For red meat, the animals must be predominantly fed grass-fed feed types and be permitted to graze outdoors on pasture or forage crops year-round.

Learn more and read the full standards on the MPI website: New Zealand Administrative Grass-Fed Standards.

You can see which producers are recognised under the administrative standards online.

Visit the NZFS stand at Fine Food New Zealand 2025

Come visit NZFS at the Fine Food New Zealand show, held on the 29 June - 1 July at the Auckland Showgrounds.

You can talk to our team at our stand (N11) or listen to our presentations at the show:

• Sunday 29 June at 11.00am: “Keeping informed: Updates to rules and services that might affect you”
• Tuesday 1 July at 12.00pm: “Future foods and the regulatory framework in New Zealand”

Implementation of the Food Business Levy

The Food Business Levy will come into effect from 1 July 2025. More information about the Levy is available on the MPI website including FAQs for businesses.