The New Zealand Food Safety Authority
NZFSA is a semi-autonomous body (SAB) attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), with responsibility for:
- Protecting and promoting public health and safety.
- Facilitating access to overseas markets for New Zealand food products and by-products.
To achieve these, NZFSA must implement a food regulatory programme which meets New Zealand’s needs for the foreseeable future. It must take account of rapidly shifting consumer behaviour and expectations, changing food production and distribution systems, and new and emerging pathogens and risks.
NZFSA’s vision is to be “a world-leading food regulatory programme that has the confidence of all stakeholders”, while its mission is “to protect consumers and enhance New Zealand’s position as a trusted supplier of food”.
The work of NZFSA contributes to three strategic outcomes for New Zealand – healthy New Zealanders; enhanced economic growth and prosperity through high-performing and innovative sectors; safe and freer rules-based trade.
To achieve its mission, NZFSA has three major strategic goals and areas of focus:
1. A food regulatory programme that protects and promotes consumer health
This goal links to the outcome of “Healthy New Zealanders” and has two intermediate outcomes:
- Improved safety and suitability of food.
- Informed and involved consumers.
2. A food regulatory programme that supports New Zealand’s economic growth and prosperity
This goal links to the outcome of “New Zealand’s economic growth and prosperity enhanced through high performing and innovative sectors” and has one intermediate outcome:
- A food regulatory programme that enhances the business environment.
3. New Zealand’s international trade in food and food related products maintained and enhanced
This goal links to the outcome of “Safe and freer rules based trade” and has two intermediate outcomes:
- New Zealand’s position as a trusted exporter of food and food-related products is enhanced.
- Trade is maintained and enhanced according to international rules.
NZFSA collaborates with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as a number of other parts of Government to deliver on the Government’s outcomes.
NZFSA has major initiatives underway in its domestic and imported food reviews, both of which will produce greatly enhanced food safety outcomes once implemented. Other significant achievements for the 2005/06 year included:
- Contributing to expanded market access, including acceptance of poultry into Japan, resolution of the “non integrated establishments” issue in China, progression of a MoU with European Free Trade Association countries, and collaboration with the EU on market access issues.
- Implementing industry agreed market access strategies across the dairy, animal product and plants industries to promote New Zealand’s food export assurance systems.
- Ensuring consistency within New Zealand with international obligations in relevant legislative frameworks and standards to ensure a consistent Sanitary and Phytosanitary approach.
- Supporting a variety of pre-market safety assessments by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) of products for inclusion in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
- Reviewing membership of the Consumer Forum, and ongoing consultation and communication on a range of food safety matters.
- Ongoing work in the standards area including incorporating the dairy industry into the Animal Products Act, development of the Wine Act regulations and implementation of the Shellfish Regulatory Scheme.
On the capability front NZFSA successfully completed Project 2005. This project focussed on ensuring that NZFSA is “fit for purpose” and capable of meeting existing and future challenges effectively. The outcome is an organisational structure that groups similar activities with the aim of improving both efficiency and effectiveness in respect of resource utilisation and knowledge management, access and dissemination.
Semi-autonomous body
As a semi-autonomous body NZFSA:
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Operates under its own independent brand.
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Takes the primary role in servicing the needs of the minister for food safety.
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Administers primary legislation and regulation relevant to the food safety portfolio.
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Administers funds appropriated under vote: food safety.
The authorities and powers exercised by NZFSA are vested in the first instance with the Director-General of MAF. These authorities and powers are provided by way of comprehensive delegations to the Executive Director, NZFSA. While ultimate accountability for the proper and effective use of those authorities remains with the Director-General, their day-to-day exercise resides with the Executive Director. NZFSA personnel are employees of MAF, and NZFSA draws on MAF for services including human resources, information technology/management, finance, assurance and risk, and legal.
The Executive Director of NZFSA, as the senior official within NZFSA, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the SAB and has the right to provide policy advice on matters of food safety independently of advice on those matters that might be offered by the Director-General of MAF.
Contact for Enquiries
Strategy and Performance Group
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: +64 4 894 0100
Fax: +64 4 894 0738
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