What’s Happening
MPI National Programme guidance and My Food Plan template Updates Coming Soon
The updates will include a new procedure for Biltong. Many of the recent updates to the Simply Safe & Suitable template will be applied to the National Programmes and My Food Plan where appropriate. The updated programmes and plan are likely to be available early 2025.
Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification of Flour and Bread Required by mid August 2023
Voluntary folic acid fortification of bread by some bakeries has been occurring in New Zealand since 2014, but from mid August 2023, folic acid must be added to non-organic wheat flour that is suitable for making bread sold within New Zealand.
Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification of Flour and Bread Required by mid August 2023
By 14 August 2023, flour millers must fortify with folic acid non-organic wheat flour that is sold as suitable for making bread with at least 2mg/kg, and no more than 3mg/kg of folic acid.
To help you understand and meet the requirements New Zealand Food Safety has worked with industry to develop the guide Changes to Rules around Folic Acid Fortification of Bread and Flour. Click here to find out more or download the guide.
Labelling of folic acid-fortified food
If you make flour that is fortified with folic acid, or products made with fortified flour this guide tells you what information you must give to your customers, or put on your product label, if the product is packaged.
Click here to find out more or download the guide to labelling flour fortified with folic acid.
Simply Safe & Suitable Template Food Control Plan Updates
Due to changes in the law, food businesses using a template Food Control Plan need to update their Simply Safe & Suitable (SSS) Template Food Control Plan to make sure they’re following the right rules. Food businesses need to update their SSS template food control plans by two dates.
MPI Simply Safe & Suitable Template Food Control Plan Updates for 30 June 2023
MPI have updated the Simply Safe & Suitable (SSS) Template Food Control Plan (FCP). If your business is using a template FCP, you need to update your plan with some specific cards by 30 June 2023. Click here to find out more.
Click here for the updated cards that every food business using the Simply Safe & Suitable Template Food Control Plan needs to update and the other optional cards if you make these foods by 30 June 2023.
MPI Full Simply Safe & Suitable Template Food Control Plan to be in place by 20 February 2024
Make sure you are following the right rules by the 20 February 2024. Download the updated and full Simply Safe & Suitable Template Food Control Plan and make your staff aware of the changes. Download from here.
Updated Template Food Control Plan Forms
The template food control plan forms have also been updated in line with the template food control plan changes. The updated MPI blank forms that can be used with the Simply Safe and Suitable Template Food Control Plan can be downloaded from here.
MPI Cooking Guide for Shellfish and Stay Safe from Vibrio
MPI Vibrio Cooking Guide for Shellfish. Click here to find out more.
Latest MPI labelling guidelines for alcoholic beverages
Latest MPI labelling guidelines for alcoholic beverages issued November 2022. Click here to find out more.
Food health star ratings get tougher on sugar and salt
Food health star ratings are changing. Click here to find out more.
Updated MPI guidelines for tour operators
There are updated MPI guidelines for tour operators. Click here to find out more.
First phase-out of problematic plastics begins
The first phase-out of problematic plastics begins: guidance for sellers and manufacturers of products banned from 1 October 2022. Click here to find out more.
Hepatitis A cases associated with frozen berries
Since 28 June 2022, 23 locally acquired cases of hepatitis A associated with frozen berry consumption have been identified, including two in the past week. All New Zealand cases have reported significant consumption of uncooked imported frozen berries. Click here to find out more.
If you use frozen imported berries, follow the MPI berry poster and boil the berries for 1 minute before using. Click here for MPI Berry Poster.
Announcement: MPI Food Control Plan Templates being Reviewed
The template food control plan and my food plan and the national programmes guidance are currently under review. Click here to find out more.
MPI Recall Guidance
Updated May 2022 and effective July 2022. Click here to find out more.
Codex Alimentarius Updated
The General Principles of Food Hygiene CXC 1-1969 has a new format. Adopted in 1969. Amended in 1999. Revised in 1997, 2003, 2020, 2022, and 2023. New format in 2023. Click here to download. As well as the new format, the latest updates relate to Annex IV, Figure 1 and Table 1 which introduce tools to determine the critical control points in a hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system.
Plain English Allergen Labelling - Deadline Looming
The rules for declaring allergens in food are changing. Food businesses have until 25 February 2024 to make the changes to their labels and menus and update staff so that they can give consumers the most up-to-date information. Any food packaged and labelled before this date, under the existing rules, may be sold for a further 2 years.
The new rules will make food allergen declarations clearer and more consistent for consumers. To help with understanding these allergen labelling changes and knowing how these apply to food businesses, NZFS has published an allergen guidance document and a short video on the MPI Allergen declarations, warnings, and advisory statements on food labels web page. Click here to watch the video.
Warning and Advisory Statements
A reminder that food labels must also have a warning statement when people may be unaware of a severe health risk posed by a food or an ingredient.
Advisory statements must be provided for certain foods or ingredients which may cause health risks for some consumers.
Click here for more information on warning and advisory statements
NZFS helpful food safety guidelines in the event of natural disasters
Food safety in natural disasters and emergencies. Click here to find out more.
NZFS handling chicken safely this summer
NZFS handling chicken safely this summer. Click here to find out more.
Safe cooking of livers: information for chefs
Keep your customers safe from harmful bacteria by following the rules in your food control plan for handling and cooking livers. This page has more information to help you safely cook and handle livers.
Click here for the MPI webpage link for updated information for cooking livers.
Support for Food Importers
MPI have launched a website page and a targeted newsletter, which aim to better support food importers in meeting their requirements.
Click here for the MPI link for more information and help for food importers.