Food Newsletter - Summer 2022

Summer 2022

Food business tips and reminders

Slip, slop, slap - summer is the best! Just like sun smart messages reminding people to be safe in the sun, our summer newsletter aims to remind food operators about hazards that can arise from warmer temperatures when we're busiest. Tips on handling ice, protecting our kaimoana industry and avoiding sickness, will help you keep your food, customers and the health of our Far North communities in tip top shape this summer.

Shellfish - freshwater mussels a no no

Multiple reports of Fijian mussels being imported and sold have reached New Zealand Food Safety. Mussels are monitored at the border due to food safety risks. Freshwater mussels are not allowed to be imported into New Zealand for sale. The illegal imports are reportedly coming in deshelled and frozen. Any illegal mussels found on premises will be referred to MPI.

Understanding food registration

As a food business it's the operator’s responsibility to ensure the business is registered and that food registration is renewed before it's due. Failure to renew your registration before the expiry date listed on your registration certificate, means you'll need to apply for a new registration and cease trading until a new registration is obtained. Renewing is the easier and cheaper option. See cost information later in this newsletter.

Medium rare ≠ medium raw

How do you like your meat? When cooking meat, there are some simple rules to follow. Whole pieces of red meat can be cooked on the outside and rare on the inside but poultry and all minced meats (including burgers) need to be cooked right through. This difference relates to where micro-organisms are found on the meat. Scroll down for more info on this.

Micro-organisms - beware

Micro-organisms live on the surface of raw meat because animals naturally harbour them. That's why just cooking the surface of a whole piece of muscle meat is sufficient to kill any potentially harmful bacteria (except poultry). Meat must be cooked to 75°C. Using a meat thermometer is the safest way to check you're not serving micro-organisms with your meat.

Ewww - summer sickness alert

Giardia is a microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea. Giardia is found on surfaces or in soil, food, or in water that has been contaminated with faeces from infected humans or animals. An outer shell protects the parasite and allows it to survive outside the body for long periods and makes it tolerant to chlorine disinfection. Check out how to avoid catching it via this link.

Real estate time?

Thinking about a change of scene? If you're selling your business or have you sold it already, keep in mind that you must surrender your food registration as well. This is because food registrations are not transferrable and any new owners must apply for their own food registration.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Handle it correctly

Treat ice like food - don't touch it with your bare hands.
Always use clean sanitized ice tools (scoops and shovels).
Store ice tools properly to prevent contamination, e.g. upside down, on a hook.
Use labelled, dedicated “ice only” containers to prevent contamination.
Do not work with ice if you have symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or nausea.
Avoid storing dirty plates, rubbish bins or recycle bins near ice machines.
Lock ice machines that are outside or in unattended areas to prevent unauthorized access.

Treat food waste for pigs

Feeding 'swill' (untreated meat waste) to pigs is illegal and can introduce serious animal diseases, which could cost the New Zealand economy billions.

Untreated meat waste being fed to pigs is believed to have caused the UK foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001.

If you collect or supply any food waste intended to feed pigs, please follow the regulations. Find out what you need to do via this link - biosecurity.govt.nz/

Alfresco dining

As it gets warmer, sitting outside to enjoy a meal and cold beer seems like a no brainer, but if you want to offer alfresco dining on public land you must have the necessary approval from the council. Your alcohol licence also has to include the alfresco dining area.

You can find the Road Use Bylaw 2022 and Alfresco dining application forms via these highlighted links.

Mincing micro-organisms

When meat is minced, rolled, stuffed, mechanically tenderised or turned into patties or sausages, the surface of the meat and what it's carrying is then mixed through the whole product.

It's also possible for chicken tissue to be colonised by bacteria (which doesn't happen with other animal meat types). That's why poultry meat needs to be cooked through to the centre.

Poultry and minced, rolled, stuffed, or tenderised meats need to be cooked right through and to a temperature of 75°C. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. If you don't have a thermometer, check the juices run clear and not pink.

Keep it chill

Some foods must be kept cold to stop bugs growing. It’s important to know the difference between food you need to keep cold to make them safe to consume (e.g. fish) and food you can keep cold for your customers' enjoyment (e.g. soft drinks).

Check daily that the food in your fridge is being kept at 5°C or lower. When operating at an event or market, food should be stored at a safe temperature e.g. in a chilly bin.

Your fridge will work harder over the summer period - so keep an extra eye on its performance to ensure you're meeting the requirements of 5°C or colder.