- Print Friendly - Help

Domestic Food Review

We started the Domestic Food Review in 2003. To date it has covered all aspects of food safety and suitability of food produced, processed, manufactured, traded, transported and imported to New Zealand.

The review identified a number of problems in the food regime as applied across the country such as a lack of clarity in the roles of the regulators, a lack of consistency in the application of the current food regime, and a rising incidence of foodborne illness. In response, the New Zealand Government agreed to an overhaul of the Food Act 1981 and committed to providing an effective, efficient and risk-based food regulatory regime that:

• makes it easier for businesses to manage food safety

• minimises compliance costs for business

• reduces the incidence of foodborne illness

• provides consumers with greater assurances that their food is safe.

The Food Bill reflects the outcome of the Domestic Food Review.

Consultation documents

Cabinet papers and policy documents

Research and project documentation

The Food Bill

The Food Bill proposes a change to New Zealand’s existing food law (the Food Act 1981). It introduces a more risk-based approach to the regulatory regime and requires food operators - and food importers - to take primary responsibility for providing safe and suitable food. It also clarifies the role of the regulator and those tasked with verifying and enforcing the new rules.

Key aspects of the Food Bill

Voluntary implementation programme

We launched our voluntary programme for managing food safety on 1 August 2008 using the Food Act 1981 and its food safety programme approval facility. We provided a template food control plan that could be approved as a food safety programme and we ensured that these could be approved by territorial authorities that wanted to join the voluntary programme. This has provided valuable information for the development of the Food Bill. To date, more than 1,200 food businesses have had food safety programmes based on the template food control plan approved.

Voluntary implementation programme

[Updated 8 June 2010]