New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) has issued new guidance on food recalls:
This guidance is designed to help food businesses understand how to carry out a fast and effective food recall (or simulated food recall), and to prepare for new regulatory requirements coming into force soon. The new regulatory requirements in the Food Regulations, Animal Products Regulations, and Wine Regulations strengthen tracing and recall for food business. They include:
- from 1 July 2022 animal products and wine businesses with a plan or programme and exporters will need to have a recall procedure, and will need to tell NZFS promptly if they decide to undertake a recall (food control programme, national programme businesses and importers already need to do this); and
- from 1 July 2023 all food, animal products, and wine businesses with a plan or programme, importers, and exporters will need to undertake an annual simulated recall.
The guidance includes an example recall procedure, checklist, examples and spreadsheets, an updated recall risk assessment form and recall audit form.
Further information can be found using the links below: