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Response to Weekend Herald re the Slorach Report

9 May 2008

The Editor

Weekend Herald

AUCKLAND

Dear Sir

NZFSA is a new organisation and, when we came under criticism on a range of decisions we had made last year, proposed that our decision making framework be reviewed and compared with the best in the world. There is always room for improvement and a new set of eyes.

Dr Stuart Slorach spent two weeks in New Zealand earlier this year talking to a wide range of industry and consumer representatives, academics, regulators and politicians and extensively with NZFSA staff. He later visited food safety authorities in Sweden, Denmark and Ireland to compare our approach with theirs. Contrary to your article last weekend, his report, based on those discussions, found our processes and entire approach to be aligned with and on a par with best practice in these other well respected food safety authorities.

Dr Slorach has made a number of suggestions on how we can make improvements. We will be looking at these closely over the next few months and incorporating his suggestions where appropriate and in line with Government’s wishes.

It is worth noting that in Denmark, a country that relies heavily on food exports, and in Sweden, the food safety authorities also have a role in facilitating trade. Their dual role, like ours, is about assuring safe food for consumers, no matter whether they are Swedes, Danes or consumers in their international markets. NZFSA has no role at all in promoting or ‘driving’ food exports. We provide assurance from the New Zealand government to the governments of importing countries that their food safety requirements have been met. The credibility of these assurances must be beyond doubt. All agencies must work with industry to effect improvements and it is obvious that adding needless compliance costs into the system will eventually only affect one group – the consumers who have to pay for the food.

NZFSA was established to protect consumers of New Zealand food, no matter where they are, and the suggestion we would put trade or industry interests ahead of consumers’ health or safety is unthinkable. If we did, New Zealand’s reputation as a producer of safe food would be in tatters and it wouldn't take long for our international markets to completely shut down our access. Government, the industries we work with and New Zealanders demand that our actions are 100% about putting consumers first.

Far from a ‘schizophrenic purpose in life’ we are very clear about our role of ensuring New Zealand’s food continues to be the safest anywhere.

Yours sincerely

Andrew McKenzie

Chief Executive