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Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson has congratulated the Ministry for Primary Industries for making us the first country to sign a Food Safety Systems Recognition Arrangement with the US Food and Drug Administration.

The signing took place at a meeting in Washington DC earlier this week. It means that New Zealand and the United States recognise each other’s food safety systems as providing a comparable degree of food safety assurance.

This is the first time the FDA has recognised another country’s food safety system as comparable to its own.

Farm gate sales of raw milk will continue and the amount that can be purchased is likely to increase, Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson said today.

Farmers will also be exempt from the current requirement to have a costly Risk Management Programme for farm gate sales of raw milk and will instead need to adhere to certain animal health and hygiene requirements.

“The current Food Act allows people to buy only up to five litres of raw milk at the farm gate to drink themselves or give to their family,” Ms Wilkinson says.

Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson has welcomed new trans-Tasman rules for health and nutrition claims on food labels.

At a meeting in Brisbane today, Ministers from Australia and New Zealand agreed to the new rules which permit a range of claims that link properties of foods to health effects. Only claims that are backed up by evidence, whether self-substantiated or pre-approved, will be permitted.

Fewer New Zealanders are getting food poisoning but we must not forget basic food safety rules during the summer barbecue season, Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson says.          

“We all love a summer barbecue, but over the festive season, it’s a good time to remember to do the food safety basics.

“Don’t cross contaminate surfaces, properly cook chicken, and make sure the whole family washes their hands before eating,” Ms Wilkinson says.

The fortification of bread with folic acid will remain voluntary, Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson announced today.

A thorough eight-week public consultation process by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) resulted in 134 submissions, of which 88 supported voluntary instead of mandatory fortification.

“In making my decision in favour of voluntary fortification, I read all the submissions and the clear message is that people want choice,” Ms Wilkinson says.

Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson has welcomed a decision by the trans-Tasman Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation that could help innovative food businesses develop new foods for health.

Health claims on food packaging was top of the agenda at the Forum’s meeting in Canberra yesterday, which Ms Wilkinson attended.

The Forum previously considered proposals requiring all health claims to be pre-market assessed, but yesterday the group decided to explore additional options for ‘general level health claims’.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to talk to you this evening and thank you for organising such an interesting day. The Bay of Plenty is well known as a major producer of food - kiwifruit, avocado and also wine. You are indeed a “foodie” region – with 80% of the national kiwifruit canopy area here and nearly 70% of the avocado export growers.

Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson says opponents of the Government’s draft Food Bill are scaremongering about its impacts.

"Much of what they claim is untrue and causing many people unnecessary concern," Ms Wilkinson says.

“The Bill is designed to simplify 30-year-old food safety regulations and ultimately aims to reduce our high level of food-borne illness and corresponding economic cost. It’s estimated food-borne illness caused a $162 million loss to the New Zealand economy in 2010."