The FDA And New Zealand's MPI Enter Into Food Safety Agreement
By Laurel Maloy, contributing writer, Food Online
New Zealand is replacing its 1981 Food Act with the final version unanimously passed by Parliament last Tuesday evening
First introduced to Parliament in May 2010, the bill was 10 years in the making and virtually rewrites New Zealand’s food safety regulations. Citing the old “one size fits all regime”, New Zealand’s Minister of Food Safety Nikki Kaye, says this newest legislation will provide more flexibility, focusing on the activities of a food processor, rather than on its premises. The new Food Act will strengthen regulatory authority, clarify and tighten provisions for recalls, and will enable a quicker response to outbreaks. “The new law employs a risk-based approach, clearly identifying the food safety risks associated with a particular kind of business,” explains Kaye.
Just as Barack Obama fast-tracked the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) in response to foodborne illness outbreaks, New Zealand’s Parliament has similar inspiration. In 2013, Fonterra, the world’s largest exporter of dairy products, found it necessary to recall 38 tons of clostridium sporogenes-tainted whey protein, much of which was exported overseas. The contaminated whey protein concentrate, utilized in the production of infant formula, was quickly rounded up by the New Zealand dairy cooperative, 18 tons back under its control in 24 hours and the remaining 20 tons within 72 hours.
With admirable transparency and honesty, Fonterra’s Chairman, John Wilson, responded personally to questions from around the world, though most specifically to China. Chinese families have depended hugely upon Fonterra after its own 2008 scandal of melamine-contaminated milk. Prior to the clostridium sporogenes scandal, China’s state-run CCTV news station had published numerous stories critical of New Zealand’s infant formulas, in an attempt to discredit the industry. The head of the Infant Nutrition Council for New Zealand and Australia, Jan Carey, labeled CCTV’s claims “false and misleading.”
Supply Chain Visibility Is A Key Part Of Delivering Proof Of Product Integrity
Still, New Zealand’s reputation took a big hit. A recent Chinese consumer survey showed that Chinese consumers believe dairy products from New Zealand are not as safe as those from Europe and the U.S. However, a university survey conducted last October found that Chinese consumers considered New Zealand’s dairy products to be safer than their own.
New Zealand though, can tout its success at being the first country in the world to receive FDA recognition for having a food safety system comparable to that of the U.S. In fact, a Food Safety Recognition Arrangement was signed by both Carol Barnao, MPI’s (Ministry for Primary Industries) Deputy Director of General Standards, and Michael Taylor of the FDA. The signed agreement is the result of an exhaustive one year cooperative study into each other’s preventive controls and food safety verification systems. Combined with the fast-approaching full implementation of FSMA, this arrangement bodes well for the regulatory burdens of foods traded around the world. In the spirit of cooperation and mutually advantageous goals, costly and unnecessary functionary duplications can be avoided, streamlining the international food supply chain while ensuring consumer safety. All in favor say, “Aye!”