Govt allays fears over food safety reforms
Date: 27 Jan 2012The Government is assuring food traders that a bill reforming the industry does not need further protections for small traders, nor do the proposed powers for food safety officers need to be curbed. The Food Bill, which will reform the food industry by introducing a new regime for food safety, has been criticised for adding compliance costs to small traders and community growers. The powers of food safety officers has also been questioned. Under the bill, officers do not need search ... more
Fonterra: raw milk regulation changes will "line foreign pockets"
Date: 24 Jan 2012Kiwi families likely to miss out on cheaper milk as profits from extra 200 million litres heads offshore Fonterra said today it was still working through the detail of the Government’s proposals on the oversight of farmgate milk pricing, but said it was already clear that the proposed changes to Raw Milk Regulations were a backward step. Fonterra Chairman Sir Henry van der Heyden said the proposed changes to Raw Milk Regulations won’t work and will have New Zealanders ... more
Commerce Commission to monitor milk pricing
Date: 24 Jan 2012Competition watchdog the Commerce Commission will annually monitor milk pricing in New Zealand under a raft of Government proposals announced today to rein in Fonterra's market power and restore public confidence in the milk market. Primary Industries Minister David Carter said Fonterra, which controls about 90 per cent of the raw milk market in this country, would also be required to publicly disclose information about how its sets its milk price, and the farmer-owned dairy cooperative ... more
The Food Bill - questions & answers
Date: 20 Jan 2012MAF (the NZ Food safety Authority) has published a new set of questions and answers to help clarify and explain the the Food Bill, as it will affect anyone producing or selling food in New Zealand. The Food Bill was introduced to Parliament on 26 May 2010. It has been through a public submission process and is now waiting to proceed through the House. This is a comprehensive piece of legislation that needs to cover all food produced and sold in New Zealand, including imported food. It has ... more
Apple growers face crunch in Aussie market
Date: 18 Jan 2012Apple exporters are optimistic about shipping to an Australia market open after 90 years but some early failures last year are a reality check on the rules, says Pipfruit NZ chief executive Peter Beaven. The apple harvest was due to get underway next month with an expectation for tens of thousands of cases to be shipped to Australia this year and a longer-term market opportunity for about 500,000 cases, Beaven said. The Australian market could be worth $30 million or more to New ... more
Australian poison report sparks call for tighter energy drink rules
Date: 17 Jan 2012A sharp rise in emergency calls related to energy drinks with a high caffeine content has prompted a call for tighter regulation and compulsory health warnings. The call, rejected by the energy drink industry, came after research by the University of Sydney and the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre found an increase in symptoms including cardiac arrhythmias, tremors, dizziness, hallucinations and stomach problems. Published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the research ... more
Distilled Spirits Association applauds seizure
Date: 17 Jan 2012The seizure and destruction by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) of a substantial quantity of parallel imported alcohol beverages has been welcomed by the Distilled Spirits Association. MAF’s ongoing inspections of retail liquor outlets discovered the range of products on sale that contravened the strict labelling requirements of the Food Standards Code. Further investigations led to the discovery of a substantial quantity of parallel imported alcohol beverages with ... more
Fears of new Food Bill 'unwarranted'
Date: 3 Jan 2012Green list MP Steffan Browning wants the Government to reopen public consultation on the New Zealand Food Bill, now before Parliament. A viral internet campaign is feeding mostly unwarranted fears about the proposed bill, Mr Browning said. These include the ability of people to sell produce from their front gate or even swap vegetables with neighbours. It would be wise for a fresh Parliament to ensure concerns got a good airing rather than just making quick amendments to the bill, he ... more
Tough Aussie food guidelines may be used here
Date: 15 Dec 2011Strict nutrition guidelines proposed in Australia that recommend drastic cuts to potato, high-fat dairy and junk food consumption could become the foundation for future guidelines here. Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council issued draft guidelines this week (www.eatforhealth.gov.au) that would radically transform most Australians' – and Kiwis' – diets if they were followed. Based on the average diet, the council recommended eating 40 per cent less ... more
Forum considers food labelling review
Date: 10 Dec 2011Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson today represented New Zealand at the Forum on Food Regulation in Melbourne to consider the Forum’s response to the Independent Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy. “I welcome the Forum’s response, which follows considerable work over the past year to consider how the report’s recommendations should be addressed,” Ms Wilkinson says. “The Forum is a gathering of Ministers from all Australian States and ... more
