Asian language Food Control Plans now available

Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Hindi food operators now have access to a free food safety management plan in their own languages.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s (NZFSA) Food Control Plan for food service and catering businesses has been translated into the four most common languages of food operators (after English) in New Zealand, and is available to download from NZFSA’s website.

“We’ve had lots of requests for the Food Control Plan in other languages,” says NZFSA’s policy director Carole Inkster.

“It’s important to make this information available in other languages to encourage the large number of operators who don’t speak English as a first language to use a Food Control Plan. It will reduce barriers for operators and improve food safety for consumers.”

The Food Control Plan provides operators with a ready-written food safety management system. It identifies potential risks at each step of the production process (eg, receiving and storing goods, and displaying food) and contains procedures to keep food safe at each of those steps.

Sixty-four of New Zealand’s 72 local councils have joined the voluntary scheme and more than 280 food operators have signed up since the Plan was launched in August last year. It is part of the proposed Food Bill, which aims to reduce the rate of foodborne illness in New Zealand.

After downloading the Plan from NZFSA’s website, food operators can contact their local council to help get them underway.

The Plans can be found at: http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/policy-law/projects/domestic-food-review/

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For further comment contact: Carole Inkster, Director Policy, 04 894 2505 or 029 894 2505

For further information contact: Philippa Ross-James, NZFSA Communications, 04 894 2552 or 029 894 2552