Category: New Zealand Government – Business

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Father and son Canterbury cattle farmers, Keith and Joel Townshend have been fined $47,500 over their failure to register movements of hundreds of cattle with National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT).

Under the NAIT scheme all cattle or deer must be fitted with a NAIT tag and registered in the NAIT system by the time the animal is 180 days old, or before the animal is moved off farm.

Keith Bruce Townshend (69) and his son, Joel Charles Townshend (39) were sentenced today under the NAIT Act in the Ashburton District Court, following successful prosecutions by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

Keith Townshend run farms in the Ashburton and Banks Peninsula areas and was fined $20,000 on two charges while Joel Townshend, who runs farms in coastal Wakanui, was fined $27,500 on three charges under the NAIT Act.

“MPI takes non-compliance with NAIT seriously. The scheme provides a critical tool in the fight against biosecurity incursions such as M.bovis or Foot and Mouth disease. Put simply, when people in charge of animals disregard their NAIT obligations they put the whole agricultural sector at risk because it affects our ability to do our job – track and trace animals,” says MPI regional manager Animal Welfare and NAIT Compliance, Murray Pridham.

Inquiries into Keith Townshend’s operation found that between April and November 2022, he transported 798 cattle from Akaroa to Forks without declaring these movements to NAIT. He also failed to declare receiving 1034 cattle that were transported from Forks to Akaroa between May and October 2022. Mr Townshend had been educated on NAIT requirements in 2021.

Meanwhile, Joel Townshend took over the lease of a property at Wakanui in April 2022 and 1,154 cattle were found unregistered into the NAIT system at this farm. He also failed to register himself as the person in charge of animals (PICA).

“The NAIT tag and registration system is only as effective as the information entered in. If you are unsure about what you need to do, reach out. There is plenty of information, advice and support available,” says Murray Pridham.

Operational Solutions for Primary Industries (OSPRI)

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

A new report by New Zealand Food Safety identifies Salmonella in imported sesame seed-based products as the most significant food safety event of 2023, resulting in 14 recalls affecting 65 food products.

The ‘Consumer-level food recalls annual report for 2023’, one of 2 recall reports published by New Zealand Food Safety today, says the recalls were initiated after Salmonella was detected during routine testing by a New Zealand business making products containing tahini.

Consumer-level food recalls annual report for 2023 [PDF, 3.2 MB]

“A complex investigation by our Food Compliance Services team – involving product testing and tracing of ingredients through the domestic market – found the contamination was from tahini imported from a Turkish manufacturer,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

“The team dug deeper and subsequent online surveillance and scanning of international food safety issues also identified concerns with products from a manufacturer in Jordan.

“By the time all the sesame seed-based products were tracked down and removed from sale, we had supported 14 recalls affecting 65 products. And, most importantly, we had no confirmed reports of related illness.”

The annual reports are a new initiative by New Zealand Food Safety to share information on consumer-level recalls with the public.

Food recalls annual reports

“Our priority is to protect consumers, and these reports help identify trends and find ways to prevent food safety incidents,” says Mr Arbuckle.

“New Zealand’s food safety system has a strong track record of keeping people safe and – given the volumes of food being produced, manufactured and imported – incidences of related illness remain rare.

“However, there are occasions when food safety issues occur, and that’s when we work quickly with food businesses to recall the affected product, removing it from the food supply chain and promoting public awareness.”

The 2023 report shows New Zealand Food Safety supported food businesses to conduct 70 consumer-level food recalls.

“It’s important to note that the number of recalls is not an accurate indicator of the level of risk to consumers. Numbers are dependent on many factors, including regulatory changes, business and public awareness of food-related problems, and reporting of those problems,” says Mr Arbuckle.

Of the 70 recalls, 48 were initiated for domestically produced foods and 22 were for imported foods.

“Another food safety event to highlight from 2023 was the possible presence of Listeria and Campylobacter in raw milk, which led to 3 recalls.

“Drinking raw milk carries inherent risks as it may contain harmful bacteria that would normally be killed through the pasteurisation process.

“In this case, there were fortunately no associated reports of Listeriosis, which can be very serious for vulnerable people like the very young, pregnant, older and those with low immunity. But we were notified of 3 related cases of Campylobacter, which causes vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, headache, and body aches.”

Allergens in food were the leading cause for recalls in 2023, with milk being the allergen that triggered the most recalls.

“Food recalls are a sign that our food safety system is working to protect consumers,” says Mr Arbuckle. “You can help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts from the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page.”

Recalled food products list

By the numbers:

• 70 consumer-level recalls in 2023
• 48 recalls for domestically produced foods
• 22 recalls for imported foods
• 26 recalls for allergens (the leading cause for recalls)
• 12 recalls for milk (the allergen triggering the most recalls)
• 23 recalls due to microbiological contamination
• 14 recalls due to physical contamination.

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Epicurean Dairy Ltd in its recall of specific batches of its The Collective brand Suckies Strawberry Probiotic Yoghurt as the product may contain foreign matter (black plastic).

The Collective brand Suckies Strawberry Probiotic Yoghurt sold in a 4 pack (4 x 100g) with batch numbers of 32280 T2 or 32280 T3, and a best before date of 30 April 2024 are affected by this recall.

Affected product is sold at selected supermarkets and retailers throughout New Zealand. The product has not been exported.

The Collective brand Suckies Strawberry Probiotic Yoghurt

“If you have any of the affected product at home do not consume it,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle. “It should be thrown out, or returned it to its place of purchase for a refund.”

“If you or a family member have consumed any of these products and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116.”

The issue came to light as a result of consumer complaints that the nozzle had broken and pieces of plastic had got into the yoghurt.

“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Epicurean Dairy Ltd to understand how the issue arose and to prevent it happening again,” Mr Arbuckle said.

New Zealand Food Safety has not received any notifications of associated injury. 

The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur.  Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts. Information on how to subscribe is on the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page.

Recalled food products list

For media enquiries, email NZFoodSafety_media@mpi.govt.nz or call our media team on 029 894 0328.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish gathered from the inner Queen Charlotte Sound, as well as near Collingwood in Golden Bay, due to the presence of high levels of paralytic shellfish toxins.

Routine tests on mussels from near Waikawa have shown levels of paralytic shellfish toxins 3 times higher than the safe limit. The warning extends from Anakiwa, out to West Head and Dieffenbach Point.

In addition to the Queen Charlotte Sound warning, the levels of paralytic shellfish toxins in mussels farmed near Collingwood have risen in recent weeks and are nearly at the safe limit. Commercial harvesting from the mussel farms have stopped and the public are warned that shellfish gathered from the shore could also have elevated levels of toxins.

See the map of the warning for Marlborough

“Please do not gather and eat shellfish from these areas because anyone doing so could get sick,” says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

“Affected shellfish include bivalve shellfish such as mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles and scallops, as well as pūpū (cat’s eyes), Cook’s turban and kina (sea urchin).

“Cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin, so shellfish from the affected areas should not be eaten.”

Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning usually appear within 10 minutes to 3 hours of eating and may include:

• numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, hands, and feet
• difficulty swallowing or breathing
• dizziness and headache
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhoea
• paralysis and respiratory failure and, in severe cases, death.

Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process.

Finfish are not affected by this public health warning, but we advise gutting the fish and discarding the liver before cooking.

NZFS has had no notifications of associated illness.

If anyone becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued, phone Healthline for advice on 0800 61 11 16, or seek medical attention immediately. You are also advised to contact your nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.

“NZFS is monitoring shellfish in the region and will notify the public of any changes to the situation,” says Mr Arbuckle.

Commercially harvested shellfish – sold in shops and supermarkets or exported – is subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by NZFS to ensure they are safe to eat.

Find out more about how to safely gather and consume shellfish

For more information, email NZFoodSafety_media@mpi.govt.nz

Find out more

See signage in the affected area.

Shellfish biotoxin alerts

Subscribe to shellfish biotoxins to receive email alerts

Collecting shellfish and keeping them safe [PDF, 1.4 MB]

Causes and symptoms of toxic shellfish poisoning

About toxic algal blooms

Food safety for seafood gatherers booklet [PDF, 1.2 MB]

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

An Auckland fish dealer who failed to provide accurate sales records for the pāua he was purchasing has been fined $2,000 and ordered to do 40 hours community work.

Cheuk Kin Chung (67) was sentenced in the Manukau District Council on one charge he pleaded guilty to under the Fisheries Act (Recordkeeping Regulations 1990), following a successful prosecution by Fisheries New Zealand.                     

Mr Chung is a fish dealer and the sole director of New Silver Bell 2008 & 2013 Ltd which receives fish for the purpose of sale. During an inspection of his records by Fisheries New Zealand fishery officers in October 2022, they found 51 invoices that did not comply with the regulations.

“Most seafood dealers take their record keeping seriously because they know that not having correct invoices undermines the traceability of the fish and casts suspicion as to whether it was legally caught,” says Fisheries New Zealand regional manager, fisheries compliance, Andre Espinoza.

Mr Chung told fishery officers he had been selling fish for over 30-years, yet despite being educated and warned in the past by Fisheries New Zealand, he wasn’t following his legal obligations which include evidence of the date of a transaction, the contact details of the person supplying the fish, along with the species, species state, weight, and price.

“The message to all fish dealers is simple – ensure your record keeping is accurate, because there are consequences. Traceability assures the buyer, they’ve purchased seafood from a legitimate dealer and Mr Chung compromised his reputation by failing to live up to these important checks and balances,” says Andre Espinoza.

MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 47 62 24)

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

An Auckland fish dealer who failed to provide accurate sales records for the pāua he was purchasing has been fined $2,000 and ordered to do 40 hours community work.

Cheuk Kin Chung (67) was sentenced in the Manukau District Council on one charge he pleaded guilty to under the Fisheries Act (Recordkeeping Regulations 1990), following a successful prosecution by Fisheries New Zealand.                     

Mr Chung is a fish dealer and the sole director of New Silver Bell 2008 & 2013 Ltd which receives fish for the purpose of sale. During an inspection of his records by Fisheries New Zealand fishery officers in October 2022, they found 51 invoices that did not comply with the regulations.

“Most seafood dealers take their record keeping seriously because they know that not having correct invoices undermines the traceability of the fish and casts suspicion as to whether it was legally caught,” says Fisheries New Zealand regional manager, fisheries compliance, Andre Espinoza.

Mr Chung told fishery officers he had been selling fish for over 30-years, yet despite being educated and warned in the past by Fisheries New Zealand, he wasn’t following his legal obligations which include evidence of the date of a transaction, the contact details of the person supplying the fish, along with the species, species state, weight, and price.

“The message to all fish dealers is simple – ensure your record keeping is accurate, because there are consequences. Traceability assures the buyer, they’ve purchased seafood from a legitimate dealer and Mr Chung compromised his reputation by failing to live up to these important checks and balances,” says Andre Espinoza.

MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 47 62 24)

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Background to this consultation

This is the second consultation we have run on proposed measures to manage phytoplasmas on imported ornamental plants for planting. 

We have reviewed submissions received during the first consultation that closed on 12 March 2024.

Based on those submissions, we have now drafted an import health standard (IHS). An IHS is the legislative document that specifies the requirements for importing.

Find out about the first consultation and the submissions received

Have your say

We are seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Nursery Stock (155.02.06) IHS to manage the risk of phytoplasmas on imported ornamental plants for planting.

From 23 April to 14 May 2024, we invite comments on the draft IHS.

Draft Import Health Standard: Nursery Stock (155.02.06) [PDF, 7.3 MB] 

Related document

Submitters should also read the schedule cahnges – it outlines proposed changes to the schedules that 22 host genera currently fall under.

Schedule changes for ornamental hosts of phytoplasmas [PDF, 105 KB]

Making your submission

Email your feedback on the draft IHS and schedule by 5pm on 14 May 2024 to PlantImports@mpi.govt.nz

All submissions received by the closing date will be considered before the amended IHS is issued. MPI may hold late submissions on file for consideration when the issued IHS is next revised or reviewed.

Next steps

After we have considered all submissions, there is a 10-day period which provides submitters with the opportunity to examine any changes to the IHS which have resulted from consultation. An independent review (under section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993) may be requested in this period if a submitter considers scientific evidence they raised during their submission has not received sufficient consideration. If there is no review, the IHS becomes final after 10 days.

Find out more about the IHS review process

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety today issued new import rules for frozen berries to help keep New Zealanders safe and improve processes at the border.

In 2022-2023 there was an outbreak of hepatitis A virus associated with frozen berries, affecting 39 people.

“New Zealand was among a number of countries which recalled frozen berries at different times due to concerns about the presence of hepatitis A,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

“We’ve worked hard to the identify and implement ways to improve food safety rules to better manage the risk to consumers. As part of this we worked closely with major frozen berry importers, who have expressed strong support for the changes.

“New Zealand Food safety’s work to strengthen these requirements was acknowledged in a recent Office of the Auditor-General report into monitoring importers of high-risk foods as ‘robust and in line with international best practice’.”

In a first for New Zealand, the change introduce the use of independent certification to confirm an importer’s food safety systems meet New Zealand’s food safety standards.

“This gives us more confidence that risks associated with frozen berries are being managed off-shore before they come to New Zealand,” says Vincent Arbuckle.

The changes will come into effect on August 1 and importers have 18 months (until 31 January 2026) to transition to the new import requirements. We anticipate that importers will opt take up the system fairly quickly.

“Now that the outbreak is over, and affected products have been removed from the shelves, the risk to consumers has reduced. Hepatitis A virus in imported frozen berries, however, remains a potential risk. 

“If consumers have concerns or are part of a vulnerable population group, then they can heat-treat frozen berries to over 85^oC for at least 1 minute,” says Mr Arbuckle.

More about the rule changes is on the New Zealand Food Safety website here:

Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale [PDF, 440 KB]

Background for editors

Changes introduced include:

• Strengthening the imported food category of frozen berries from Increased Regulatory Interest food to High Regulatory Interest food.
• Clearly describing the products included or excluded from the application of the clearance requirements.
• Removing ineffective requirements for microbiological testing of frozen berries at the border, with more robust requirements in place for manufacturers prior to shipping. 
• Addition of specific provisions for the use of third-party certificates and their accompanying manufacturers’ declarations for clearance of imported frozen berry consignments.
• Specifying what assurances official certificates must provide and the need for them to be agreed between an exporting country’s competent authority and MPI.

For more information email: NZFoodSafety_media@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328