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Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew is reminding New Zealanders to follow the 3 C’s and clean, cook and chill over summer to prevent illness over the summer break.

“As the weather heats up and we all spend more time outdoors enjoying a kiwi summer, it’s important that we all take care when preparing and cooking food,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“By using a few simple tips, the risk of falling ill with food poisoning can be reduced significantly.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew is welcoming progress on improving food labelling, including consistent labelling of added fats and oils that are high in saturated fatty acids.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew welcomes the final passage through Parliament of The Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill, which will result in more innovative agricultural products being brought to the New Zealand market.

“This Bill achieves this through extending, expanding, and clarifying data protection,” says Mrs Goodhew.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew last night presented the Supreme Award for the 2016 NZ Food Awards in Auckland, and is congratulating all of the category winners for their achievements.

“I would like to congratulate Coastal Spring Lamb and Coastal Lamb for winning the Massey University Supreme Award. They are an excellent example of an innovative and successful New Zealand company, which is now exporting to the world,” Mrs Goodhew says.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew has welcomed yesterday’s opening of the Fonterra Ying Hub in Ying County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, China.

“The Fonterra Ying Hub represents a significant investment in Ying County,” says Ms Goodhew.

“Once fully operational, the Hub will farm up to 30,000 cows, of which 16,000 will be milking cows.”

“Across the Hub’s three farms almost 400 local people have been employed and around 85 percent of the farm feed is sourced locally.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew has announced a two year extension for a scholarship programme that is deepening engagement between New Zealand and China, while boosting mutual understanding of each other’s food safety systems.

The scholarship programme was developed in partnership between New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). It was the first initiative under the Food Safety Cooperation Agreement signed between New Zealand and China in November 2013.

Food Safety and Associate Primary Industries Minister Jo Goodhew will travel to China today for bi-lateral meetings and to open a new Fonterra dairy facility in the Shanxi Province.

“The relationship between New Zealand and China has never been stronger, and it is crucial for our economy that we maintain that strong relationship in food safety,” says Mrs Goodhew.

Jane Lancaster has been appointed to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Board, Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew announced today. Ms Lancaster’s term began on 1 July 2016.

“Ms Lancaster will make a valuable contribution to the FSANZ Board with her background in food science, biotechnology, and strong governance experience. In particular, she has professional experience in food safety, food regulation, and the food industry,” says Mrs Goodhew.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew is welcoming the Food Safety Law Reform Bill having passed its first reading in Parliament last night, with unanimous support.

The Bill is the final step in implementing the Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) Inquiry recommendations, in particular those which require legislative change.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew is today congratulating Food Safety officials across New Zealand as the 1000th registration under the Food Act is celebrated.

“This is a stunning start under the new Food act, which came into effect on 1 March,” says Mrs Goodhew.

To celebrate the milestone, the Minister visited the 1000th registration, Columbus Coffee in Timaru, to congratulate the owner and staff.

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou.

It is a pleasure to be here today to open this event, celebrating 20 years of the Food Treaty.

I want to use this opportunity to highlight the importance and success of the Food Treaty for both Australia and New Zealand, and also give my thoughts on some of the topics you will be hearing about today, including the future of food regulation.

Importance of trans-Tasman relationship and success of the Food Treaty

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew today acknowledged the 20th Anniversary of the Food Treaty between Australia and New Zealand at a conference in Wellington hosted by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ).

“The Food Treaty, implemented in 1996, was an important step towards enhancing trade between Australia and New Zealand, as part of Closer Economic Relations,” says Mrs Goodhew. 

“The Treaty has simplified two-way trade, and exporters on both sides now view each other’s markets as extensions of their domestic markets.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew last week introduced the Food Safety Law Reform Bill to Parliament. The Bill is the final step in implementing the recommendations from the Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) Contamination Inquiry.

“We have made substantial progress implementing the WPC Inquiry recommendations through operational means. The final step is implementing the recommendations which require legislative change.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew today launched the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre at Massey University in Palmerston North.

Formed as a partnership between government, industry organisations and research institutions, the virtual centre aims to ensure New Zealand’s food safety system remains among the best in the world.

The official opening of Westland Milk Products’ new UHT plant in Rolleston is a significant boost for the Canterbury dairy industry and is a sign of the continuing shift to value-added products, says Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew. 

“It is important to celebrate good news stories such as this new UHT facility, which combined with the strong medium to long-term outlook for the sector, gives dairy farmers confidence that the period of low prices they are currently experiencing is only temporary,” Mrs Goodhew says.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew welcome the Health Star Rating awareness campaign which starts this week.

“Promoting the Health Star Rating system is one of 22 initiatives in the Childhood Obesity Plan which was launched in October 2015,” says Dr Coleman.  

“Being overweight or obese is expected to overtake tobacco as the leading preventable risk to health in New Zealand in the next 12 months. We’re now one of the first OECD countries to have a target and a comprehensive plan.

The new food safety legislation, which comes into effect today, will help protect public health and sustain a strong food industry for years to come, says Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew.

“The Food Act 2014 will help us to future-proof the safety of our food, and to make compliance more efficient for businesses,” says Mrs Goodhew.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew today congratulated Fonterra on the opening of their new mozzarella plant at Fonterra’s Clandeboye site. The new plant will result in 25 new jobs and a doubling of Fonterra’s total mozzarella production to 50,000 metric tonnes per annum, over two plants.