New food safety system in Stratford

Eating out is a treat many Stratford residents enjoy, and deciding where to go to can be difficult with so many great places to choose from. If food safety is one of the things you think about when deciding where to eat, you can now look out for a new window sticker displayed at businesses who are taking part in a new, updated food safety system.

So far, 1 local restaurant has signed up for the new system by using a Food Control Plan, and 5 more are on their way, says Environmental Health Officer Wendy Kitt. A Food Control Plan provides an operator with procedures to keep products safe at each step of the process – such as buying, receiving and storing goods, displaying food and so on. It emphasises the importance of staff training and hygiene, and includes sickness policies that describe when someone shouldn’t be in direct contact with food, or shouldn’t come to work at all.

As well as the window sticker, some businesses might also offer an information flyer that explains, in a bit more detail, about what having a Food Control Plans means to them.

“We’re really pleased with the level of interest Stratford’s food operators have shown in Food Control Plans. It shows that they’re really committed to providing the safest food possible to their customers,” said Wendy.
First to sign up was TET Multisports Centre restaurant owners Lorraine and Grant Best. “The new system provides operators with the information they need to have good food safety systems in place as well as a great staff training tool,” said Lorraine.

To celebrate the TET Multisports Centre being the first in Taranaki to go through the process, Stratford District Mayor John Edwards presented Lorraine and Grant with their certificates on Monday.

The full list of participating businesses can be found on the New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s website at www.nzfsa.govt.nz