Latest news with #NewZealandFoodSafety
Scoop
04-07-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Recall Of Hydr8 Spring Water Due To Possible Presence Of Blue Plastic
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is supporting NZ Drinks Ltd in its recall of Hydr8 Spring Water (600ml x 24) as the product may contain blue plastic. 'The concern with the affected batches of bottled water is that they could contain soft shreds of blue plastic, which could be a choking hazard,' says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'If you have any Hydr8 Spring Water in the 24-pack of 600ml bottles, with best-before dates of 10 JUN 27, 11 JUN 27 and 16 JUN 27, don't drink it. Return it to the place of purchase for a refund. If that's not possible, throw it out.' The affected products are sold at selected supermarkets throughout the North Island. They have been removed from store shelves and have not been exported. Visit NZFS's recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected product. New Zealand Food Safety has not received any notifications of associated injury. 'As is our usual practice, NZFS will work with NZ Drinks Ltd to understand how this happened and prevent it happening again,' says Mr Arbuckle. 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 NZFS food recall page. For science-backed tips on preparing, cooking and storing food safely at home, download your free booklet here:
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Recognition For 40-Year Contribution To Strong Food Safety Culture And Sector
Press Release – New Zealand Food Safety With more than 40 years of contributions to the food safety sector, Professor Phil Bremer has made a significant contribution to food safety science, publishing more than 200 academic papers. New Zealand Food Safety congratulates Professor Phil Bremer for scooping this year's Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award at New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology's Food Industry Awards last night. In addition to his roles as Professor of Food Science at University of Otago and Chief Scientist New Zealand Food Safety and Scientific Research Centre (NFSSRC), Professor Phil Bremer is also an active member on several industry steering groups. 'We are delighted to present Professor Bremer with the award,' says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'With more than 40 years of contributions to the food safety sector, Professor Bremer has made a significant contribution to food safety science, publishing more than 200 academic papers. 'His work has helped build effective food safety culture, industry best practice, equipment and processing technology, product and packaging development, and science and research.' Among his many achievements are leading the development of a guide to prevent contamination of infant formula with Cronobacter, a lethal bacterium for infants under 6 months of age. 'New Zealand dairy companies now benefit from this resource, which helps to ensure the safety of infant formula for the youngest consumers, at home and abroad,' says Mr Arbuckle. 'Professor Bremer has made an immense contribution to the quality and breadth of food safety science in New Zealand, and to the strength of the wider food safety sector, with a number of leadership roles in New Zealand food safety associations and societies across his 40-year career. He also passes on his knowledge undertaking significant post-graduate supervision.' Mr Arbuckle says New Zealand Food Safety's ongoing support of the award is an important opportunity to celebrate champions of food safety culture, research and applications in food production. 'We applaud Professor Bremer, all 2025 award nominees and past winners whose contributions and commitment support New Zealand's world-class food safety system,' says Mr Arbuckle. Previous winners of the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award include Dr Pierre Venter (2024) and Dr Rob Lake (2023).
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Recognition For 40-Year Contribution To Strong Food Safety Culture And Sector
New Zealand Food Safety congratulates Professor Phil Bremer for scooping this year's Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award at New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology's Food Industry Awards last night. In addition to his roles as Professor of Food Science at University of Otago and Chief Scientist New Zealand Food Safety and Scientific Research Centre (NFSSRC), Professor Phil Bremer is also an active member on several industry steering groups. 'We are delighted to present Professor Bremer with the award,' says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'With more than 40 years of contributions to the food safety sector, Professor Bremer has made a significant contribution to food safety science, publishing more than 200 academic papers. 'His work has helped build effective food safety culture, industry best practice, equipment and processing technology, product and packaging development, and science and research.' Among his many achievements are leading the development of a guide to prevent contamination of infant formula with Cronobacter, a lethal bacterium for infants under 6 months of age. "New Zealand dairy companies now benefit from this resource, which helps to ensure the safety of infant formula for the youngest consumers, at home and abroad,' says Mr Arbuckle. "Professor Bremer has made an immense contribution to the quality and breadth of food safety science in New Zealand, and to the strength of the wider food safety sector, with a number of leadership roles in New Zealand food safety associations and societies across his 40-year career. He also passes on his knowledge undertaking significant post-graduate supervision.' Mr Arbuckle says New Zealand Food Safety's ongoing support of the award is an important opportunity to celebrate champions of food safety culture, research and applications in food production. "We applaud Professor Bremer, all 2025 award nominees and past winners whose contributions and commitment support New Zealand's world-class food safety system," says Mr Arbuckle. Previous winners of the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award include Dr Pierre Venter (2024) and Dr Rob Lake (2023).
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
MPI Lets Illegal Pesticide-laced Food Hit The Shelves In NZ
An investigation by Greenpeace Aotearoa has revealed that for at least five years, New Zealand Food Safety has failed to recall food products or prosecute suppliers when food has tested positive for illegally high levels of dangerous agrichemicals. There have been well over 50 breaches, including one food sample containing 30 times the legal limit of a pesticide so toxic it is now banned in New Zealand and is classified as highly hazardous by the World Health Organisation. "This is a shocking failure of the food safety system," says Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop. "Illegally high pesticide residues are being found on our food, and the Government is letting it stay on the shelves. That's indefensible." "Every family in Aotearoa should be able to feed their kids food that is safe from illegally high amounts of pesticide residue. But that is clearly not the case because of gross negligence by the very governmental body charged with ensuring food safety." NZ Food Safety sits within the MPI, which is charged with enforcing the Food Regulations 2015. The regulations prohibit the sale of food with residues above maximum limits. But documents obtained by Greenpeace under the Official Information Act confirm there have been no prosecutions for breaches or even a single fine over the last five years, at least. "This Government and New Zealand Food Safety appear more interested in protecting the profits of agrichemical companies like Bayer than protecting the safety of New Zealanders' food, and the health of our environment," says Toop. In 2022-23, MPI testing found three food samples containing illegally high levels of methamidophos, a highly toxic organophosphate pesticide that is now banned. One sample had residue levels 30 times over the limit, and had been illegally used on a crop for which it wasn't authorised for use on. According to the EPA, in its decision to ban the chemical, organophosphates like methamidophos are linked to developmental harm in fetuses and infants, neuropsychological and motor function effects, increased risk of cancer, Parkinson's disease, obesity, and diabetes. The revelations come as ACT Ministers David Seymour and Andrew Hoggard push a food safety deregulation agenda, including a plan to fast-track pesticide approvals and allow agrichemical companies to self-assess their own hazardous chemicals. They also come after MPI and NZ food safety have proposed a 100-fold increase in legally allowed residues of the controversial herbicide glyphosate on wheat, oats and barley. "Instead of making it easier to use toxic chemicals on our food in ways that are blatantly illegal, the Government should be supporting farmers to transition to ecological farming that protects people and the planet," says Toop.
Scoop
09-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Prevent You And Your Loved Ones Getting Life-Threatening Listeriosis
Press Release – New Zealand Food Safety Listeriosis is rare in New Zealand and cases are usually not connected, whereas cases recorded in other countries are predominantly due to outbreaks. New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) wants people to take some practical steps to avoid a rare and life-threatening but preventable foodborne illness. 'While rare, every year people die from listeriosis – a disease caused by the bacterium Listeria – and the effects are tragic for their families,' says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'Listeriosis can be prevented and there are simple steps people can take at home to avoid getting sick. We are working to help some of those most at risk – pregnant and older people – better understand the risks of listeriosis and what to do to decrease them.' Listeriosis is a result of eating or drinking food that has high levels of Listeria, a bacterium which is widespread in the environment. Listeria is invisible, has no odour and, unlike most bacteria, can grow when food is refrigerated. Listeriosis is rare in New Zealand and cases are usually not connected, whereas cases recorded in other countries are predominantly due to outbreaks. In New Zealand, there were seven deaths in 2023, with 40 people hospitalised in the past year. 'Infections in healthy adults are unlikely to be severe, but listeriosis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour, stillbirth, or disease in the newborn baby,' says Mr Arbuckle. 'As you age – and particularly over 65 – your immune system gets weaker. This means foods you safely ate in the past may no longer be safe for you to eat. 'Some people may not be aware of this. So, we're highlighting higher-risk foods while sharing some food-safety advice on how to make them safe to eat.' Higher-risk foods include: ready-to-eat meat products, like deli meats and pâtés smoked seafood (especially cold smoked fish) soft cheeses (like brie and camembert) uncooked paneer cheese unpasteurised dairy products (like raw milk and cheese) soft serve ice-cream leafy greens and bagged salad (like mesclun and spinach) uncooked sprouts (like alfalfa and mung beans) and enoki mushrooms uncooked frozen vegetables some refrigerated foods with a long shelf life pre-prepared sandwiches and salads. To lower the risk of getting listeriosis, you can: choose safer foods cook food thoroughly only eat fruit and vegetables that have been washed and dried thoroughly only eat food that was recently prepared refrigerate leftovers quickly preheat food to steaming hot (more than 70°C) before eating avoid eating leftovers that won't be reheated wash and dry your hands thoroughly and follow good food hygiene practices. 'Saturday 7 June was World Food Safety Day, and this year's theme is Science in Action. Good science remains the foundation for our food safety system,' says Mr Arbuckle. 'All of our food safety advice is backed by evidence from scientific research. It helps us with the range of work we do from understanding the prevalence of different foodborne illnesses, to ensuring we are giving consumers the most effective and accurate advice possible. 'Science also informs our regulations around food businesses managing food safety risks. NZFS requires food businesses to manage Listeria in the processing environment and have measures in place to eliminate its presence in products. 'If something goes wrong, we support businesses with their consumer-level food recalls. Last year there were three consumer recalls due to the possible presence of Listeria. 'But there's also something you can do to protect yourself and others. If you make or buy food for vulnerable people, or are perhaps vulnerable yourself, sign up to our food recall alerts. 'And look out for our campaign so you can share it with people who may not know the life-threatening risks of listeriosis.'
