Food Safety
NZ: Outdated food act to be replaced 22 Sep 2009
The Government will undertake a complete overhaul of the Food Act 1981 to make it more relevant to New Zealand businesses and consumers, Minister for Food Safety Kate Wilkinson announced today.
"The Food Act s outdated and our current regulatory system is ineffective and inefficient. As a consequence it imposes unnecessary compliance costs and doesn't do enough to protect consumers and reduce food-borne illness," Ms Wilkinson says.
"The new Food Bill has been developed over the past two years and it will be revised to improve business certainty and reduce compliance costs.
"It will also be aligned with the New Zealand Standard platform, which provides the basis for our food exports.
"Moving to a risk-based system that offers greater protection for consumers will help address gaps in the law as well as duplication."
The new Food Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament within the next year and be in place by late 2010 or early 2011.
Proposed changes include:
- provision of an enhanced imported food regime;
- mandated risk based tools and a shift in onus of responsibility from Government to food business operators;
- clarification of the New Zealand Standard for all food sold within, and exported from, New Zealand;
- providing for a national restaurant grading system;
- replacement of the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974; and
- improvement of penalty provisions.
The food sector has an estimated annual turnover of $22 billion and employs more than 20 percent of working New Zealanders.
Food accounts for exports of $18 billion and this is expected to continue to grow over the next 10 years with the support of a new Act.
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