Category: New Zealand Government – Business

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Safari Meats and SA Shop Limited in recalling all batches of 13 dried and cured meat products due to a lack of required food safety controls.

“The concern with these products is that the Christchurch-based company has produced them without the required food safety controls in place,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

All batches and dates of the following products are affected by this recall:

• Babbellas Mix
• Bacon Biltong
• Biltong
• Blades
• Cabanossi
• Chillibites
• Dollars
• Droëwors
• Droëwors Gluten Free
• Spicy Biltong
• Sweetsticks
• Venison Biltong
• Venison Droëwors

“These products should not be eaten. You can return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If that’s not possible, throw them out,” says My Arbuckle.

The affected products are sold at the Safari Meats and SA Shop in Christchurch, through their online store, and at the following retailers:

• Biltong Plus, 273 Rodney Street, Wellsford
• Bin Inn Rolleston, 11 Tennyson Street, Rolleston
• Blenheim Mart, 33 Scott Street, Blenheim Central, Blenheim
• Gillies Automotive, 4 Ouse Street, Oamaru
• Ma Fullers SA Pantry, 174 Williams Street, Kaiapoi
• Morgan’s Road Food Market, 55 Morgans Road, Glenwood Timaru
• Produce Pals Fruit “n” Veges , 97 Archibald Street, Tinwald, Ashburton
• Rangiora Produce Market Ltd, 73 Ivory Street, Rangiora
• Safari Treats Nelson, 167 Hardy Street, Nelson
• The Saucy Saffa, 182 Gordon Road, Mosgiel

Affected products are not available in supermarkets.

Visit our recall page for more information on the affected products.

Safari Meats brand Various Ready-to-eat Cured Meat Products

Traditionally dried and cured products must be carefully controlled as the process of making them does not involve a high-temperature cooking step that kills bacteria like Salmonella and E.coli.

There have been reports of illness relating to these products, and we are investigating.

If you have consumed any of these products and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 61 11 16 for free advice.

The products have been removed from store shelves and have not been exported.

“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Safari Meats to ensure appropriate food safety controls are put in place,” Mr Arbuckle said.

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 more information, contact New Zealand Food Safety’s media team on NZFoodSafety_media@mpi.govt.nz.

For 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

Magnolia Real Limited is recalling specific batches of its Magnolia Dairy brand Fresh Whole Full Cream Certified Organic Raw Milk (unpasteurised), as the product may contain Campylobacter bacteria.

“The concern with this unpasteurised milk is that it may contain Campylobacter, a foodborne bacterium that can make you sick,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

“The affected product is Magnolia Dairy brand Fresh Whole Full Cream Certified Organic Raw Milk with use-by dates between 13 August 2024 up to and including 25 August 2024.

The product was sold through a vending machine at Magnolia’s premises in Silverdale, Auckland. It has not been exported.

“This raw milk should not be consumed. Return it to Magnolia for a refund or, if that’s not possible, throw it out,” says Mr Arbuckle.

“You can also heat the raw milk until just boiling, or to 70 degrees, for 1 minute to kill any bacteria present before drinking it.

“Drinking raw milk carries inherent risks, as it may contain harmful bacteria that are killed through the pasteurisation process.”

Symptoms of Campylobacter infection are vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, headache, and body aches.

If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 61 11 16 for free advice.

The product under recall was identified through routine testing, and there have been no reports of associated illness.

Up-to-date details of the recall are available on our food recall page:

Magnolia Dairy brand Fresh Whole Full Cream Certified Organic Raw Milk (unpasteurised)

“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will be working with Magnolia Real Limited to understand how the contamination occurred and to prevent its recurrence,” Mr Arbuckle said.

Raw milk is not pasteurised, which means it misses out on an important process that kills harmful bacteria. Read more about food safety risk associated with raw milk on the New Zealand Food Safety website.

Is it safe to drink raw milk and eat raw milk products?

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 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

Biosecurity New Zealand has temporarily suspended all Australian tomato imports, to be reviewed in 7 days, after the detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus at 2 South Australian growing properties earlier this week.

“We met this afternoon with our counterparts in Australia, where they provided an update on their work to respond to the detection of the tomato virus,” says Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director-general Stuart Anderson.

“Australia is taking steps to respond to the matter, including continuing to trace material. As this tracing work continues, and out of an abundance of caution, we are extending our restrictions by temporarily suspending imports of tomatoes from Australia. We will review this in 7 days.

“This means temporary suspensions are now in place for tomato imports from all Australian states.”

Stuart Anderson says today’s decision builds on the urgent measures introduced by Biosecurity New Zealand earlier this week, which banned tomato imports from Australian states other than Queensland.

Biosecurity New Zealand takes action in response to Australia tomato virus find

“All our imported tomatoes from Australia currently come from Queensland and not South Australia.

“So far tracing has not shown any affected material in Queensland, but we think it’s reasonable to be cautious while our counterparts continue their work.

“There is nothing to suggest the virus is here at present,” says Stuart Anderson.

“We’ll continue to work closely with New Zealand’s tomato sector.

“As always we ask growers to check their biosecurity practices and be vigilant and contact us on our pests and diseases hotline (0800 80 99 66) if they notice problems with their tomatoes.

“We’ll continue to closely monitor the situation in South Australia and continue to take any actions to protect New Zealand growers.”

The virus affects causes yellowing and deformity in the host plants but has no impact on human health.

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

Biosecurity New Zealand has placed import restrictions on tomato seed imports from Australia, after the detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus at 2 South Australian growing properties.

“We’ve stepped up our biosecurity requirements in response to the recent finds in South Australia,” says Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director general Stuart Anderson.

“Imported seeds for sowing from Australia will now require testing for the virus prior to arrival in New Zealand, which is a requirement that is already in place for other countries where the virus is present.

“We have also temporarily suspended tomato imports from all Australian states except Queensland, where there is no evidence of the disease or links to the affected properties in South Australia.”

Stuart Anderson says all our imported tomatoes from Australia currently come from Queensland and not South Australia.

“We’re in close contact with our counterparts in Australia about what they’ve found and the measures they are taking, and we’ll continue to monitor the situation closely.

“We’re committed to ensuring New Zealand growers are protected, and that’s why we’ve taken these steps already.”

Stuart Anderson says the virus, which was first noted in the Middle East, has never been found in New Zealand, and affects tomatoes, capsicums, and chillies, causing yellowing and deformity in the host plants, but has no impact on human health.

“There is nothing to suggest the virus is here at present, but as always we ask growers to check their biosecurity practices and be vigilant and contact us on our pests and diseases hotline (0800 80 99 66) if they notice problems with their tomatoes.”

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

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

An Auckland fish trader has been fined $360,000 and an employee jailed for 3 years and 7 months for both receiving and distributing thousands of dollars in illegally caught fish.

Sea World Limited which traded as Seamart and employee Marco Taukatelata (49) were sentenced on Friday (16 August) at the Auckland District Court on 2 charges under the Fisheries Act. A former company director Haihong Liu (43) was also sentenced on 2 charges under the Fisheries Act to 12 months home detention, including attempting to pervert the course of justice.

“Sea World was both a Licenced Fish Receiver (LFR) and a Dealer in Fish (DIF) which means it could legally receive fish from commercial fishers and distribute that fish to retailers. As part of our investigation fishery officers found that between December 2018 and November 2019, this company acting as an LFR illegally supplied fish valued at over $348,000 to other seafood companies.

“None of this fish was properly recorded and was not reported as landed legally or received legally by Sea World. This was deliberate stealing by stealth that fell outside of the Quota Management System,” says Fisheries New Zealand director of fisheries compliance, Steve Ham.

 The amount of fish taken included 38,202 kilograms of snapper, 2,761 kilograms of kahawai and 1,760 kilograms of grey mullet and the total cash benefit to SeaWorld was approximately $348,304.03.

“This offending would not have been possible without the direct involvement of Mr Taukatelata or the assistance of Ms Liu. Our investigation found most of the 97 transactions conducted during the investigation period were in cash. This was a deliberate attempt to hide the transactions and the motivation was financial greed.

“When we find evidence of illegal sales in fish – you can be assured that we will investigate and place the matter before the court.

“The courts response should send a strong message to anyone involved in dealing in black market fish, whether at a low level or commercial level – it’s only a matter of time before you’re caught,” Mr Ham says.

Along with the sentences, a transport truck owned by Sea World and $20,000 cash were forfeited to the Crown.

While this part of the case is completed, there are still other defendants to appear before the court on criminal charges and Fisheries New Zealand cannot provide further comment.

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 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

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