Update from Vincent Arbuckle, DDG, NZFS

Kia ora koutou,

It’s been a busy month for New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS). We recently released two important documents which support the ongoing success of New Zealand’s food safety system.

The New Zealand Food Safety Action Plan 2025–2027: a foundational piece of work, which outlines how NZFS will contribute to the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) mission to grow the value of the country's food and fibre sector. The Action Plan focuses on achieving three key outcomes:

• New Zealand food is safe and suitable.
• New Zealand has a thriving food economy.
• New Zealand has a well-functioning food safety system (a newly defined outcome, which highlights NZFS’s regulatory stewardship role within New Zealand’s food safety system).

Our core services remain front and centre. Delivering services like setting standards and providing advice on meeting them, registration and verification services, assurance and enforcement activities will all continue to be strengthened through the Action Plan.

The refreshed Food Safety Good Governance Guide for Directors: designed to support boards of directors to ensure that the food grown, produced, and consumed in New Zealand is safe and suitable. The Guide practically outlines key food safety responsibilities, best practices, and elements crucial to governance roles. We hope it will be useful and support businesses to uphold the integrity and safety of our food supply.

Both documents reflect our commitment to NZFS’ vision: New Zealand food is trusted by everyone, everywhere. I encourage you to review these resources and share with your colleagues, networks, or anyone who may find them useful.

Ngā mihi nui,

Vincent Arbuckle
Deputy Director-General, New Zealand Food Safety

Order translations of Simply Safe and Suitable template food control plan 

Verifiers – if you know of any existing businesses who would benefit from a hard copy of a translated Simply Safe and Suitable template food control plan (SSS), please let us know. NZFS received a few responses, however we need to hear from lots more of you before we can print these. 

All we require is the business RBM number, contact name and address, and the translation required. If you want a spreadsheet to complete, please email us, and send completed details to foodactinfo@mpi.govt.nz.

This is a good opportunity for NZFS to better understand the volume of businesses that benefit from translations, so we can print the right numbers, and consider other guidance that could be translated. 

The digital version of SSS and associated record blanks is available in 10 languages (Māori, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Khmer, Turkish, Vietnamese and Hindi). These can be found on the MPI website.

Feedback survey on Simply Safe and Suitable template food control plan 

From December 2024 to February 2025, NZFS conducted a survey with a random sample of food businesses and verifiers to gather their feedback on the latest SSS. Survey findings will be used to improve future versions of templates. Thank you to all verifiers who participated. 

Some of the feedback suggests that there are gaps in business knowledge. Below are some of the common feedback we received and our responses. Please share this information with food businesses.

• Cooling records: We understand that keeping cooling records has been problematic for some businesses. SSS now allows businesses to prove their cooling method, so they don’t have to keep records for every batch.
• Training resources: Businesses wanted training resources. Food control plans, National Programmes and Buddy magazines can be used to train staff. Other training resources can be found on the Toolkit page of our website.
• Alerts of Food Safety updates: Businesses wanted to be alerted of food safety updates. Businesses can sign up for updates here.
• Relevant content in SSS: Businesses wanted SSS content that’s relevant to them. They can use My Food Rules (MFR) to personalise their plan so it only provides pages that are relevant to them. They can also manually remove cards that are irrelevant.
• Record blanks and calibration guidance: Businesses wanted to know where they can find record blanks and calibration guidance. Record blanks can be downloaded here. Calibration guidance can be found on page 29 of SSS and page 51 of Buddy 1.

Requirement to meet New Zealand limits when selling or exporting food 

Verifiers - when verifying or engaging with horticulture producers who are producing goods for sale, check and remind operators of their obligations to meet all New Zealand requirements under the Food Act 2014 when selling food, including when selling for export.

In particular, producers must ensure that they are using compounds that will enable them to trade produce that is safe and suitable and meet any limits set for the domestic market (e.g. Maximum residue levels or any relevant limits in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code), before exporting and meeting any overseas requirements, unless exempted from requirements.

Guidance on exemptions can be found on the MPI website.

The ‘using acid to control bugs’ and ‘managing self-supply water’ cards in the Simply Safe and Suitable template food control plan 

The pH parameters in the ‘using acid to control bugs’ card in the Simply Safe & Suitable template food control plan currently state that you can either:

• achieve a pH of 3.6 or less OR
• achieve a pH of less than 4.6 for pickled products

We would like to clarify that the pH of less than 3.6 applies to foods that have not undergone a cooking or pasteurisation process and the pH between 3.6 – 4.6 only applies to foods that have undergone a cooking or pasteurisation process. Please refer to the Food Notice: Requirements for Food Control Plans and National Programmes which states the correct pH requirements:

If pH is being used as a control for the growth of microbes, the finished product must have:

a)       a pH at 3.6 or less OR

b)      a pH between 3.6 and 4.6 and the product must have undergone a pasteurisation or cooking process.

As discussed in the Food News November 2024 edition, NZFS would like to clarify that this card only applies when pH is being used to control the growth of bugs in foods that are not going to be stored under temperature control. Foods that are being acidified for flavour rather than preservation (e.g. sauces like aioli or mayonnaise) that will be kept refrigerated, do not need pH testing or to meet the pH requirements in the card.

Also, the ‘managing self-supply water’ card in SSS states that ‘You must use a water treatment system to make sure water for food processing, hand washing and cleaning, is safe at the point of use’.

We would like to clarify that a water treatment system is only required when the operator’s self-supplied water does not naturally meet the testing requirements in the table on page 34 of the SSS or in part 2.3 of the Food Notice: Requirements for Food Control Plans and National Programmes.

Please note that in accordance with the Food Act 2014, S.49, if a food control plan is inconsistent with requirements made under the Act, the requirements of the Act prevail. In this instance the requirements that prevail are in the Food Notice: Requirements for Food Control Plans and National Programmes

This information regarding pH parameters and water treatment will be corrected in the next update of the SSS food control plan.

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may be causing and are grateful it was brought to our attention.

2024-2025 Continuing Professional Development year – Halfway there! 

We are halfway through the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) year and it’s important to check you are on track to meet requirements by 30 September. 50 percent of verifiers have yet to start entering activities into their timecard to claim points toward their target. Delaying completing learning activities can cause a time crunch when the end of the year approaches, so plan now to reach your points target with time to spare.

CPD Managers, please ensure you check in on your verifiers progress and work with them to stay on track.

Maximum points for activity types 

Did you know there is a maximum number of points that you can claim each year for different activity types? It’s important to check this so you don’t claim above the maximum. The new Learning Activities and Points Guide has this information laid out in an easy to navigate format. This resource also includes guidance on the details to add to your timecard, so you can be sure you have entered enough information. Check out the guide on the Academy, you can find it on the learning activities page or access it from the CPD Guide.

2025 Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award – entries now open

Some companies and individuals go above and beyond to improve and implement food safety practices in New Zealand. To recognise these outstanding contributors to the food safety system, NZFS champions the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award, presented at the annual New Zealand Institute of Food Safety and Technology (NZIFST) Awards.

Nominations for this award are now open until Tuesday 27 May 2025. We encourage you to submit nominations and spread the word amongst your networks.

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

Food Safety Insights, Emerging Risks and Current Issues bulletin 

NZFS produces a fortnightly report compiling information about overseas food safety recalls and emerging food safety risks. The reports are posted to the NZFS website and you can subscribe to email notifications as new reports are published.

Recent and upcoming reports include packaging faults, microbiological hazards, climate change affecting foodborne illness, generative artificial intelligence and synthetic biology.

A special focus in the report this year will be emerging food allergy risk. A series of webinars is being planned along this theme. Subscribe to ‘Food safety emerging risks’ on the MPI website to receive updates on the Food Safety Insights, Emerging Risks and Current Issues bulletin and webinar programme.

NZFS at the New Zealand Institute for Environmental Health conference 26-27 March

NZFS is proud to support the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health (NZIEH) at their annual conference. NZFS have been involved with the conference for 16 years and will be supporting the event again.

Thank you to all the Environmental Health professionals for the important work you do every day.

In addition to hearing an address from Jenny Bishop, NZFS’ Director for Food Risk Management, hear from our experts at the conference on Wednesday 26 March:

• 11:15am: Chris Hewins, Principal Advisor Food and Wine Systems about “Future Foods and the regulatory framework in New Zealand”.
• 3pm: Bethany Clapham, Regional Manager Food Compliance North about a recent prosecution undertaken by NZFS under the Food Act 2014. 

For more information about the conference, visit NZIEH’s Conference page.