The Allergen Bureau has recently published the 2021 Unexpected Allergens in Food guidance document. This guide provides the food industry with a list of foods, ingredients and raw materials that may unexpectedly contain allergens. It also provides food business operators (FBOs) with questions that t...

In December 2020 the Codex Alimentarius Commission issued an updated version of the General Principles of Food Hygiene and HACCP.  Key changes that now need to be considered in your food business include:  The 7 principles of HACCP have been amended, with more focus on implementing control...

Fish is an excellent source of protein, essential omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, important vitamins and is low in saturated fat. But it can contain mercury – which can be harmful at high levels. Although mercury is present at low levels in most fish, there is no need for anyone (including pregnant a...

New research from New Zealand Food Safety provides pregnant women with more options and certainty about what they can safely eat with updated tips to avoid foodborne illness. Review and download the guidelines, or watch a You Tube video on the topic  More information on food and pregnancy New Z...

Food fraud refers to the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering with, or misrepresentation of food, ingredients or packaging at some stage of a product’s distribution or production cycle. It also refers to false or misleading statements made about a food or drink product for ...

The British Columbia (Canada) Centre for Disease Control has recently reviewed and updated their food safety assessment of Kombucha.   The resulting paper provides useful guidelines for the production of safe and suitable Kombucha products. You can review and download the article here...

The NPC is a tool to help food manufacturers calculate the average nutrient content of their food products and prepare a nutrition information panel (NIP). Some of the new features include: improved stability for uninterrupted access streamlined process to create recipes using three easy steps eas...

MPI has launched a helpful new booklet on starting a food business. This publication contains comprehensive onestop-shop guidance to help people find out about what food rules apply to a new business, how to put together a Food Control Plan or National Programme, find a verifier and get registe...

Food safety culture in a food business is how everyone (owners, managers, employees) thinks and acts in their daily job to make sure the food they make or serve is safe. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has developed a Food Safety Culture Hub of resources to assist businesses. You c...

The Australian and New Zealand governments advise women not to consume alcohol during pregnancy. On 17 July 2020, Minister's responsible for food regulation (the Forum) accepted a proposed draft standard for pregnancy warning labels. In making its decision, the Forum confirmed its ongoing commi...