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The First Five years

Linkages

To achieve its mission – to protect consumers and enhance New Zealand’s position as a trusted supplier of food – NZFSA has continued to build effective working relationships with organisations and individuals throughout the ‘food chain’.

These are some of the mechanisms it has put in place to ensure it is engaging properly with all stakeholder groups, and has effective communication channels for advice and expertise.

Officials’ Committee on Food Safety (OCFS)

The OCFS provides for a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to food safety and related issues. Chaired by NZFSA, the committee also includes the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Health, Ministry for Economic Development, Treasury, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

The committee’s specific functions are to:

• provide a forum to bring a whole-of-government perspective or consolidate views on food administration and the joint standard-setting arrangements with Australia

• advise NZFSA on government policy issues that affect, or need to be taken into account, when developing food policies and strategies

• assess food regulations and the regulatory regime to ensure consistency with government policy and compatibility with other relevant legislation and standards (eg, international standards), and to ensure continuing relevance, appropriateness and scope of need.

New Zealand Food Safety Advisory Board (NZFSAB)

The NZFSAB was set up in 2003 as an independent body to advise the Minister on the safety programme for all food sold in New Zealand. It was tasked with providing the Minister with assurance that domestic food policy delivers the outcomes for consumers, the food industry and New Zealanders’ health, that the government is seeking. The Board provided valuable advice during NZFSA’s establishment phase, and has now fulfilled the purpose for which it was set up. As such, it was disestablished in 2007.

NZFSA Academy

NZFSA strengthened its links with New Zealand’s leading food safety experts through the launch of the NZFSA Academy in 2005.

Set up to enhance NZFSA’s access to a range of technical expertise and knowledge, and supplement the skills available within the organisation, the Academy ensures that the best advice and help is available when specific issues arise, or in emergency situations.

The Academy’s experts complement NZFSA’s Science Strategy and other areas of work. Its members are drawn from various related fields including epidemiology, nutrition, microbiology, primary production, irradiation, toxicology, medical science, food processing and public health.

As well as providing a means of identifying experts required to assist with specific issues, the Academy is an important interface with the scientific and academic community which can alert NZFSA of emerging issues from within their own fields.

The Academy meets with NZFSA staff twice yearly, and on an ad hoc basis as issues arise.

Consumers’ Forum on Food Safety

The Consumers’ Forum gives consumers an opportunity to become involved in New Zealand’s food safety regulatory programme. Hosted primarily by NZFSA, the forum normally meets three or four times a year.

The forums began before NZFSA was set up, but are now on a more established footing. The meetings provide an opportunity for good-quality two-way communication about food regulations and the way these are developed.

The meetings provide a useful sounding board for NZFSA on food safety matters, and a constructive forum for sharing information and ideas.

Consumers attending the forums represent national bodies that are interested in the effects of food and food safety on the health and welfare of New Zealanders.

Industry groups

NZFSA works with a number of industry groups to facilitate the development of food safety standards affecting specific sectors. These forums provide useful feedback and help ensure that any issues surrounding proposed changes are raised in a timely and informed way.

The industry groups NZFSA works with, either as partners, members, or with NZFSA leading the group, include:

• Seafood Standards Council

• Meat Industry ad hoc Group (the Meat Industry Standards Council is currently in recess)

• Dairy Products Safety Advisory Council (DPSAC)

• Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Advisory Council (AVMAC)

• Plants Market Access Council (PMAC)

• Poultry Industry Standards Council (PISC)

• Pet Food Industry Standards Council

• Ostrich and Emu Standards Council

• Wine Sector Council.

Community extension programme

NZFSA’s community extension programme was set up during the first five years and works to promote an awareness of food safety and nutrition among Māori and Pacific Island groups.

As part of the programme NZFSA has produced guidance on handling food in the home and when catering for large community or social functions in the form of leaflets, brochures and DVDs. It has also developed a Māori strategy to help support a consistent approach to food safety as it affects Māori.

NZFSA also enjoys working relationships with other New Zealand government agencies, particularly those with an interest in food, or responsibilities for working to improve the health of New Zealanders, or for commerce and trade.

These include:

• Ministry of Health

• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

• Ministry of Economic Development

• Ministry of Consumer Affairs

• Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA).

NZFSA has convened an Interdepartmental Group on allergens. NZFSA has also developed close relationships with local authorities (as fellow regulators) and district health boards (as deliverers of services to NZFSA on contract). It works with Treasury, State Services Commission and the Office of the Auditor General.

International links

As part of its market access strategy NZFSA has built up strong links with many international organisations that deal with food and food-related standards. It also represents New Zealand at various international food safety fora – these play a key role in developing food safety standards.

They include the following international bodies:

• Codex Alimentarius Commission

• World Trade Organization

• World Organisation for Animal Health

• Quadrilateral Food Safety Group (Australia, Canada, the United States and New Zealand).

Relationships with other food safety regulators

NZFSA has developed and maintained strong links with other leading food regulatory agencies around the world during its first five years. These include the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency (UKFSA), the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). This collaboration includes joint studies, incident response and communications on issues which may have a bearing on New Zealand. In September 2006, NZFSA and the New South Wales Food Authority (NSWFA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost cooperation on a range of food safety and regulatory issues. Areas of collaboration include policy development, standards and systems, incident response, food science, communications and compliance and enforcement.