Food Act 2014 - New Rules!

How will the new Food Act 2014 affect your business?

The Food Act 2014 will come into force by 1st March 2016 and will apply to new food businesses and suppliers who begin trading from that date. Existing businesses will come under the new law over a three-year period from this date.

The central feature of the new Act is a sliding scale where businesses that are a higher risk from a food safety point of view will operate under more stringent food safety requirements and checks than lower risk food businesses.

Higher-risk food businesses—for example those that prepare and sell meals or sell raw meat or seafood—will operate under a written food control plan (FCP). In the plan businesses identify food safety risks and steps they need to take to manage these risks.

The FCP can be based on a template or business owners can develop their own plan to suit their individual business.

Although businesses do not need to meet the requirements of the Food Act 2014 until 1^st March 2016, a growing number of food service businesses in New Zealand are choosing to transition early under The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI’s) Voluntary Implementation Programme (VIP).

Voluntary Implementation Programme Link.

Let Southern Hospitality help with product requirements to implement a Food Control Plan. Contact us on 0800 503 335.