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Food Focus August 2008

Resources from NZFA

Wild food safety in the spotlight

NZFSA has launched a new range of resources to help consumers take the guesswork out of keeping their wild food safe to eat

Harvesting food from the wild is part of theNew Zealand way of life. But when it comes to information about how to harvest wild food safely the pickings are slim. Much of the information is passed on through informal channels and hands-on experience, which can make it tough for would-be hunter/gatherers to find out how to look after their wild food in the field and at home.

The new resources produced by NZFSA will help fill this gap. They include a DVD on wild food safety, which covers wild game, game birds and seafood, and two publications, Food safety for hunters and Food safety for seafood gatherers.

Jim Sim, NZFSA Senior Programme Manager (Animal Products) says: “When we began working on the wild food project it soon became clear there was limited food safety information for people who gather food from the wild, even though hunting, fishing and collecting shellfish are popular pastimes for a huge number of Kiwis. We hope the information in our DVD and the booklets will go some way towards filling that gap.”

The first chapter on the DVD looks at game birds, in particular ducks, and is presented by Ric Cullinane from Fish & Game New Zealand along with Andy Tannock from Hunting & Fishing New Zealand. Ric and Andy are both enthusiastic game bird hunters and were a great source of advice to NZFSA during the making of the DVD. (Both organisations are distributing the DVD with their upcoming publications.)

The wild game chapter on the DVD was filmed at Kanuka Wilderness Hunting in Paihiatua. This section is fronted by well-known game butcher, Darran Meates. Darran takes the viewer through the entire hunt, from dressing a deer in the bush to putting cuts of meat in the freezer when you get home.

The DVD ends with a seafood chapter giving some handy hints on how to keep your fish and shellfish fresh when you’re out collecting, and how to avoid collecting shellfish from contaminated water. It also gives some great tips on storing and preparing shellfish and fish.

The resources are the outcome of a project on non-commercial wild food carried out by NZFSA. The project recognised the need to improve the information on food safety for gatherers and consumers of wild food. Research by ESR identified the most common wild foods to be deer, pigs and shellfish, followed by wild goats, marine fish and water fowl such as ducks. The new resources focus on these common wild foods and how hunters and gatherers can reduce the risks and keep their food safe for them and their families to enjoy.

View and download the new booklets here.

Publications

NZFSA publishes a number of booklets, leaflets and fact sheets covering various food safety topics. All are available for download from NZFSA’s website www.nzfsa.govt.nz. Hard copies can be ordered by freephone 0800 693 721 or email info@nzfsa.govt.nz

Eating safely when you have food allergies

This 24-page A5 booklet provides information that will help allergy sufferers make better food choices when managing their allergy.

Understanding food labelling

This booklet will help anyone who wants to understand food labels, including date marks, such as ‘Best before’ and Use by’.

Food safety when you have low immunity

Information for those catering for the very young, the frail elderly, pregnant mums or anyone suffering a chronic illness. Produced in A5 and a large-print A4 version.

Meet the bugs

An 8-panel brochure provides information about the most common pathogens to cause foodborne illness – their symptoms and likely sources of infection.

Consumer Resource Catalogue

This 12-page A5 booklet lists the freely available resources produced by NZFSA. This is a handy reference for schools, medical centres and anyone who regularly uses food safety material.

Food safety in pregnancy

Pregnant women have lower levels of immunity than usual and may be more at risk of getting diseases carried by food. This booklet provides advice and guidance on cooking, storing, and eating out – in New Zealand and overseas. A 20-page A5 booklet.