The Food Act 2014

Everyone working in the food industry has a responsibility to make sure that the food we buy is safe and suitable to eat. The Food Act 2014 takes a new approach to managing food safety by focusing on the processes of food production, not the premises where food is made.

A central feature of the new Act is a sliding scale where businesses that are higher risk, from a food safety point of view, will operate under more stringent food safety requirements and checks than lower-risk food businesses.

The new law recognises that each business is different – unlike the old Food Act 1981 and its one-size-fits-all approach to food safety. The new Act means that a corner dairy operator who reheats meat pies won't be treated in the same way as the meat pie manufacturer.

The Act brings in new food safety measures:

• food control plans (FCPs) for higher-risk activities
• national programmes for lower-risk activities

To find out what rules your business needs to follow, use the 'Where do I fit?' tool on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website.

Transition times for existing businesses

Existing businesses will shift to the new Act between 2016 and 2019. You can choose to transition any time between 1 March 2016 and the end of your nominated transition period.

From the start of each transition period, MPI will focus on providing additional guidance and support to specific food businesses in that sector when their transition period begins.

Check the transition timetable to find out when your type of food business has to transition. 

Requirements for new businesses

New businesses commencing trading from the 1 March 2016 will be required to operate under the requirements of the Food Act 2014.

The fees for functions under the Food Act 2014 for the Waitomo District are as follows: