New Consultation: Proposed operational code for processing bee products
Date: 4 Oct 2017MPI is seeking feedback on the proposed Operational Code Processing of Bee products by Friday 17 November 2017. It's been developed to help secondary processors of edible bee products comply with the requirements of the Animal Products Act 1999. It's been developed mainly for processors operating a risk management programme (RMP). The documents for review and a submissions template are now available on the MPI website: ... more
Demand for Kidscan Food in-School programme doubles in five years
Date: 29 Sep 2017In 2005 when KidsCan started it was providing food and clothing items to 40 low decile schools, this year it’s helping 675 schools. KidsCan CEO Julie Chapman says the charity now feeds nearly 30,000 children a week in 16 regions across New Zealand, which works out (on average) to 21 percent of the KidsCan schools’ roll. That’s up from just 11% five years ago. “The increase in the need for food support is significant. If this continues, in another five years ... more
TalentNZ: Start with skills but end with qualified
Date: 28 Sep 2017The open letter signed this week by 100 companies has been applauded by the industry training organisation for the nation’s booming service sectors, ServiceIQ. But it wants a postscript. “Tourism is New Zealand’s leading source of overseas income, yet it’s crying out for talented people,” says ServiceIQ chief executive Dean Minchington. “The same applies to hospitality and retail. An insistence on someone holding a tertiary qualification to land a ... more
FSANZ: Call for submissions on a new processing aid
Date: 25 Sep 2017Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has called for submissions on an application to allow the use of protein glutaminase as a processing aid. FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Mark Booth said the enzyme is used to enhance protein solubility in various applications such as baking, pasta/noodle making, milk, dairy meat, fish, grain processing, yeast products and egg based products. “The enzyme improves emulsification, foam stabilisation and gelling and decreases flavour fade ... more
Another orange roughy success story
Date: 22 Sep 2017An orange roughy fishery south of Stewart Island has been given the green light to reopen after 19 years. In 1998, the seafood industry agreed to cease fishing in the ORH3B Puysegur area to rest the fishery to allow stocks to rebuild. Over the past 19 years the industry has contracted a number of research surveys from NIWA and CSIRO to monitor the rebuild and to inform a new stock assessment in 2017. Deepwater Group chief executive, George Clement, says this stock has now rebuilt to ... more
FSANZ: Call for submissions on GM canola line application
Date: 18 Sep 2017Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has called for submissions on an application seeking to permit food from a genetically modified (GM) canola line that produces an omega-3 fatty acid. FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Mark Booth said the line (developed by CSIRO and Nuseed Pty Ltd) was modified to produce the long chain fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the seed. “The applicant has stated that this canola line could provide an alternate source of DHA ... more
Fishing operators recognised for their commitment to protecting seabirds from being harmed on vessels
Date: 12 Sep 2017Photo: Diane Brooks and Mike Smith of Altair Fishing Limited, Nelson, accept the 2017 Seabird Smart Award. The winners of this year’s Seabird Smart Awards are leading the way when it comes to protecting seabirds says Bill Mansfield, the Chair of the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust. The Seabird Smart Awards aim to recognise commercial and recreational fishers for outstanding leadership and commitment to looking after New Zealand seabirds. The Award winners were announced by ... more
Oritain Global expands into Australian market
Date: 9 Sep 2017Following a boom in demand for its forensic verification and traceability services, Oritain Global Ltd is expanding once again, this time into the Australian market. Oritain is a global leader in using forensic science to determine food, fibre and pharmaceutical provenance. Its unique services protect the reputation of its customers by identifying and mitigating well-known risks in the supply chain. The company already has some significant Australian customers on its books, including ... more
Grocery exporters get access to Aust code of conduct training
Date: 8 Sep 2017New Zealand companies exporting to Australia can now access an online course on the Australian Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, under a special arrangement between the NZ Food and Grocery Council and retail marketing and strategy company NextGen. The Code introduces a new regime for fair dealing in the industry, and has the potential to improve trading relationships between retailers and suppliers, including New Zealand suppliers. The course supports suppliers’ understanding of ... more
Star ratings encourage production of healthier foods
Date: 25 Aug 2017The voluntary Health Star Rating is encouraging manufacturers to create healthier foods, surveys of more than 44,000 New Zealand supermarket products over a three-year period have shown. The survey was part of the study: Effects of a Voluntary Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling System on Packaged Food Reformulation: The Health Star Rating System in New Zealand conducted by University of Auckland academics and published in the journal Nutrients. Lead researcher Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu ... more
