Food Control Plans delayed

Delays in the drafting of the new Food Bill will see Food Control Plans introduced only on a voluntary basis for some sectors of the food industry by mid-2008.

Government has been developing the new Food Bill since it was agreed on in October 2006.

"Timelines for such a complex piece of legislation are always uncertain," said Carole Inkster, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority's (NZFSA) policy director.

"As the Food Bill will not be introduced to Parliament in time for a mid 2008 start, we are working to find ways to implement components of the system voluntarily under current legislation. This approach has received a positive response from groups we have discussed it with. We are keen to maintain the momentum built up over the last four years."

NZFSA expects to have a range of material available in the early part of 2008 for those businesses marked for introduction in the first year of transition of the new Food Act (food service and catering sectors).

This would mean that business operators in these sectors will be able to register and implement a Food Control Plan (freely available to them), then apply for an exemption from the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974.

The new imports program will also be affected by the delay in the Food Bill's introduction. NZFSA intends to consult on aspects of that program that can be delivered under current legislation in the first half of 2008.