Improved food safety compliance system
The new Act includes a better compliance system. Minor and technical offences will be dealt with faster and more effectively, and penalties for the worst offences have been strengthened.
The new Act strengthens the Government's ability to enforce the law by:
- introducing infringement offences, improvement notices and compliance orders giving food safety officers a new enforcement option that sits between warnings and costly court action
- bringing in consistent food safety requirements so that food operators can be held to account where they are failing to manage risk adequately
- significantly increasing penalties for the most serious food safety offences
- making changes to offences, penalties, remedies and procedures that will clarify and tighten the regulatory regime.
More information about enforcement of the Food Act will be in regulations that will be released by the end of 2015.
Better consumer protection
Under the Food Act 2014, enforcement officers will be given more effective tools for protecting consumers from unsafe food, unethical food operators and misleading or inaccurate labelling.
Because the Act will introduce infringement offences, officers will have the power to quickly and effectively deal with minor offences. These minor offences will be set out in regulations.
Who to contact
If you have questions about enforcement, email info@mpi.govt.nz