Assured Audits NZ Ltd - who are we?
We're a privately owned food industry focused audit company.
We work throughout New Zealand, bringing strong technical and practical expertise to food safety management programme (Food Control Plan (FCP) and National Programme (NP)) evaluations and verifications.
Shane Hopgood owns the business and is the principal Food Act verifier/auditor and evaluator. Helen McDonald has been involved in the business since its inception, and was previously a co-managing director. In addition we appointed Gavin Jacobson to our audit team in late 2014, Karen Whittington in late 2015, and Alicia Pratt in mid 2017. Collectively we draw on over 100 years of combined experience in the food industry to provide professional and sound audit outcomes.
Read more about Helen
Read more about Shane
Read more about Gavin
Read more about Karen
Read more about Alicia
Understanding your business - valuing long term partnerships
Operating a small business ourselves, we understand what it means to provide a quality, efficient and personal service.
When you work with us, you can expect a seamless evaluation/verification process. This starts with your initial enquiry, right through to obtaining Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) or local Council recognition by meeting the objectives of your Food Control Plan/National Programme.
You will generally deal with the same person from the moment you decide to nominate us as your regulatory evaluators/verifiers. That's because we believe in forming strong relationships, and want to partner with you over the long term.
IANZ and ISO 17020 Accredited/ MPI approved
To assure you of our competence and professional standing, we undergo independent annual assessments of our food safety management programme auditing systems, quality systems, and verifiers/auditors.
These assessments are conducted by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ). For more information, see www.ianz.govt.nz

We hold ISO 17020 accreditation as an Inspection Body, together with Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) recognition as Food Control Plan and National Programme verification auditors and evaluators.
We are recognised to offer regulatory food safety verification audits (and evaluations where applicable) in the following industry sectors:
- General Manufacture of Food
- Manufacture of Cook Chill Food
- Manufacture of High Risk Food
- Manufacture of Frozen Food
- Transport and Storage of Food
- Catering Establishments
- Eating Houses (including Takeaways)
- Retail Sale of Food
- Primary and Secondary Processing of Produce
- Dairy manufacturing and packing (excluding the manufacture of raw milk products) for sale on the domestic market
- All other food sectors with the exception of canning and aseptic processing/packing
Our Certificate of Accreditation sets out full details of our ISO 17020 accreditation.
Our MPI FCP/NP Verification Auditor and Evaluator recognition details can be viewed at this MPI website page