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Council gets proactive on food safety

Thursday 17 June 2010, 8:09AM

By Nelson City Council

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NELSON

Nelson City Council, in conjunction with the New Zealand Food Safety Authority is leading the way in encouraging local food business to adopt a new approach to food safety.

Nelson is one of several proactive Councils around the country that have adopted a voluntary implementation programmed which enables food premises to change to the new risk based Food Control Plan system ahead of legislative changes to the Food Act which could come through later this year.

The Food Control Plan is a new food safety management tool to help operators simply and effectively meet their food safety obligations.

Food Control Plans focus on what must be done to keep food safe. They identify risks at each point, from receiving and storing goods through to preparing, cooking and serving food. Step-by-step information and checklist style tools show staff how to manage those risks to protect customers.

Nelson City Council senior environmental health officer Bob Askew says Food Control Plans help operators to produce safer food by identifying the best procedures for their business. “This lets them tailor the plan and concentrate on what is most important for their type of outlet” Mr Askew says.

Council Environmental Health officers will ensure an operator's Food Control Plan is a good fit and will check that it is being followed correctly.

In Nelson Food control Plans will now be the benchmark for food safety and will replace the Food Hygiene Regulations.

Food Control Plans are nothing new and have been used in Europe and many other overseas countries for over ten years. It is a system endorsed by the World Health Organisation. New Zealand is falling in line with this globally accepted practice for ensuring food safety and already more than 1200 outlets nationwide have transferred to this proven and effective food safety management system.

Operators who would like more information about Food Control Plans can contact Bob on 546 0433 or 027 458 3677 or check out the New Zealand Food Safety web site: www.nzfsa.govt.nz.