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Prototype off-the-peg Food Service trial

2 Background

Since May 2003, NZFSA has been reviewing the regulatory system that controls food for sale in New Zealand. This is only the second such review in 30 years. As a result of the Domestic Food Review, Government has agreed to the drafting of new legislation and standards that will explicitly place obligations on all food businesses to meet food safety and suitability requirements.

Food service businesses will be required under the intended new legislation to have a registered Food Control Plan (FCP). The FCP will contain the food safety procedures and monitoring records for the businesses.

To avoid the need for every food service business to develop their own custom Food Control Plan NZFSA has committed to produce a generic off-the-peg (OTP), FCP to meet the needs of small to medium sized businesses in this sector.

A prototype food service OTP-FCP was developed based on the structure and style of an earlier prototype developed for small food retailers. A number of overseas models were also looked at and used to inform the development of the prototype.

A major point of difference with the foodservice prototype and overseas models was the approach taken on ensuring adequate cooking of meat products and chicken. Overseas models such as the United Kingdom’s Safer food, better business tend to promote visual indicators rather than cook temperatures whereas the prototype OTP-FCP focuses on establishing the temperature reached when cooking. Although a more onerous approach it was thought necessary to establish the practicality of introducing a more scientifically reliable form of monitoring.¹

¹ See NZFSA commissioned research by Nicola J. King (n´ee Turner) and Rosemary Whyte, Does It Look Cooked? A Review of Factors That Influence Cooked Meat Color, Vol 71, Nr 4, 2006, Journal of Food Science, pp31-40.