MPI Boss Says H5N1 Will Inevitably Reach New Zealand
Don’t worry about it but just be aware - that’s the message from Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director-general Ray Smith as the H5N1 strain of bird flu is found in Australia.
The rules are part of the new Food Act, which came into effect in March this year. The Food Act introduces a risk based approach to managing food safety, setting different rules for higher and lower risk businesses and putting more emphasis on what people do to keep food safe.
Fiona Duncan, director food and regulatory policy at MPI says, “As the new law is rolled out, we monitor and evaluate how things are going and listen to feedback from businesses and others. These proposals make improvements where needed, to make sure the new law works as intended.”
“We propose reducing requirements for some lower risk businesses, giving them fewer records to keep and fewer procedures to follow.
Another proposal makes it easier for businesses to organise their first food safety check, known as a verification.
“We have also reviewed some old food safety laws that are still in effect, and are revoking those that are no longer necessary and keeping the parts we still need”, says Duncan.
The consultation includes a number of other minor changes to help the new law work more smoothly. Businesses can find full details on the MPI website, along with several ways they can have their say, from filling in a quick survey to making a formal submission.
MPI is also working with councils around the country to run free workshops on the Food Act. Workshops give businesses a chance to ask questions about the new law, as well as to give feedback on anything they think could be improved.
More information about the consultation and workshops can be found at www.mpi.govt.nz/foodact
