New online tool to make food complaints

The number of recalls signifies yet another busy year, with a wide range of recalls so far in 2022 including a recall of chocolate with Salmonella contamination and plastic pieces discovered in cookies.

NZFS deputy director general Vincent Arbuckles says recalls are sign the system is working to protect people.

“Food businesses do a lot of work to monitor their own systems to make sure everything is working as it should. In addition to this, complaints from the public remain an important way to gather information about potential risks,” he says.

Arbuckle says consumers play an important role in the food safety system, adding that by making a complaint, the public helps to keep communities safe.

“If you notice something that isn’t right, we encourage you to let us know so we can get to the bottom of it,” he says.

“For the most part, businesses achieve good standards of food safety and work with us to remove any unsafe or non-compliant food to prevent it becoming a bigger issue.

“Of course, there will be some food safety issues which go unreported. Keeping this in mind, we’ve made it easier for people to alert us about potential problems through our new online tool.”

Through a series of drop-down menus people are invited to provide New Zealand Food Safety with specific and useful information. It includes guidance on what complaints can be made online and which ones should be sent to a local authority, to help ensure any alerts on food safety risks are sent to the right contact. Anyone that completes an online form, will be contacted by a Food Compliance Officer, who will begin a review and triage process.

“Consumers should feel reassured that whatever the reason, if something unusual has happened or been found, even if it seems a ‘one-off’, their reporting helps keep food consumption safe for everyone.”

The online tool can be accessed via the ‘Make a food complaint’ section of the Ministry for Primary Industries website.