15 Jun 2021
The Economic Implications of Food Safety Incidents
Dr Malik Altaf Hussain (Senior Food Safety Officer at the Victorian Department of Health, Food Safety Unit, Australia), recently presented on behalf of the New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre (NZFSSRC) about what food safety incidents are, their contributing factors and their economic impacts.
To follow is a summary.
06 May 2021
Food Safety & Traceability Update - May 2021
Update on COVID-19, SFFF Traceability, Food Safety Risk Ranking and Recycled Packaging Projects
View Story28 Jan 2021
Food Safety & Traceability Update - January 2021
This edition provides an update on the work conducted towards sustainability of the fresh produce sector, as well as highlighting the importance of food safety, Traceability and how to improve them.
View Story05 Nov 2020
Food Safety & Traceability Update - Core Food Safety Issues -November 2020
Within the wider Food Safety landscape, we would like to draw your attention to an emerging risk, related to the behaviour of pathogens, and especially the learning that is occurring on how some pathogens are adapting to different environmental conditions in the open world.
View Story05 Nov 2020
Food Safety & Traceability Update - COVID-19 -November 2020
This is a topic that is not going to go away in a hurry, like it or not. In its own right, COVID-19 clearly represents a risk to human health, as well as a risk to our economy.
View Story15 Oct 2020
Food Safety Risk Framework Project
The objective of the Food Safety Risk Framework project is to provide to industry a science based New Zealand centric framework that identifies the highest food safety risks to the industry and allows effective targeting of research funds and activities.
View Story27 Aug 2020
United Fresh Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures (SFFF) Draft Traceability Guidelines
Reliable and robust Traceability systems are no longer an optional extra in the produce industry, but a baseline requirement of increasing importance.
View Story14 Aug 2020
COVID-19 UPDATE - NZ Food Safety Scientific Opinion on Covid-19 transmission through food packaging
To follow is the most up-to-date information from the Ministry for Primary industries on the unlikely transmission of COVID-19 by food or food packaging.
View Story06 Aug 2020
New Zealand’s $6 billion Produce Industry Aligning and Improving its Traceability Systems
A consultation document seeking the input of New Zealand’s fresh produce industry has been released this month as part of a significant project to assess and improve traceability within the industry.
View Story26 Jun 2020
United Fresh Food Safety Update June 2020 - Research, COVID-19 & Fresh Produce Food Safety Framework
This edition discusses activities and initiatives underway in the food safety and traceability arena over the last year. We examine the increasing collaboration across industry in food safety and a proposed New Zealand Fresh Produce Food Safety Framework Research Project.
View Story22 May 2020
Potential for Foodborne Transmission of COVID-19: Literature Review Update - May 2020
The New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre (NZFSSRC) have released an update of the potential for foodborne transmission of Covid-19 literature review.
View Story04 May 2020
NZ Food Safety Releases Results for the Food Residues Survey Programme
New Zealand Food Safety, a business unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries, has published the results of its recent Food Residues Survey Programme (FRSP).
View Story08 Apr 2020
COVID19.govt.nz Website Produce Washing Advice Updated
The government website for COVID-19 has been updated with the correct information for consumers around the washing of fresh fruit and vegetables once they get them home. We had asked them to remove their advice of using soapy water last week so it is great to see this has happened.
View Story30 Mar 2020
United Fresh Urges Kiwis to Eat More Fresh Produce and to Wash It First
New Zealanders can safely purchase fresh fruit and vegetables during COVID-19 and our country’s only pan-produce organisation that represents the entire value-chain, United Fresh, is reminding Kiwis to wash all produce as you normally would by rinsing it under the tap before consuming it.
View Story16 Mar 2020
Food Safety Workshop Hits the Mark
United Fresh and the New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre (NZFSSRC) jointly ran a Food Safety workshop in Auckland on 12th March 2020.
View Story24 Feb 2020
Food Safety Update February 2020 - Food safety Aspects Related to High-Risk Horticulture Crops
This edition discusses food safety aspects related to fresh berryfruit, melons and leafy vegetables.
View Story16 Jan 2020
Workshop - Food Safety & Risk Factors in the New Zealand Fresh Produce Market - 12th March 2020
United Fresh is pleased to present this valuable workshop for members in partnership with the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre.
View Story13 Dec 2019
Food Safety Update December 2019 - Emerging Food Risks due to Climate Change
Climate Change increasingly affects food production. The changes to temperatures and rainfall patterns from climate change are being predicted to lead to a 2-6% decline crop yields every decade, as droughts, fires, floods, shifting seasons, and increased insect populations impact on our ability to grow crops.
View Story24 Oct 2019
United Fresh Food Safety Newsletter - October 2019
In this issue we are looking at three articles on climate change and its potential impact on foodborne illness, production and business management.
View Story19 Sep 2019
Fresh Produce Safety Centre Seeking Director Nominations
FPSC Ltd is seeking nominations to fill two Board vacancies, one from New Zealand (effective from 27 November 2019).
View Story09 Sep 2019
United Fresh Food Safety Update, September 2019
Welcome to the first edition of our Technical Advisory Group's Food Safety Updates. This update covers the release of MPI's Draft Food Safety Strategy.
View Story30 Jul 2019
Update from MPI on Import Health Standards for fresh fruit and vegetables
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has completed an administrative review of Import Health Standards (IHSs) for fresh fruit and vegetables for human consumption.
View Story24 Jun 2019
FPSC A-NZ 2019 Conference
United Fresh Technical Advisory Group Representative Anne-Marie Arts will be presenting an update on the Sustainable Farming Fund Traceability Project.
View Story04 Dec 2018
Listeria Information Update - November 2018
Following our attendance at the PMA-ANZ Fresh Produce Safety Conference we have produced a document to share the new findings on Listeria.
View Story04 Dec 2018
Sustainable Farming Fund - Literature Review - PowerPoint
We have created a PowerPoint presentation to simplify the findings of the Literature Review and to enable organisations to share this with their team.
View Story29 Oct 2018
United Fresh seeks Growers’ help for Traceability Survey
As you are aware, United Fresh was awarded a Sustainable Farming Fund project in June 2018, which is entitled “Effective Fresh Produce Traceability Systems” (Project 405482).
View Story24 Sep 2018
Major Fresh Produce Traceability Project Underway in New Zealand
In light of the recent shocking Australian strawberry tampering event, the New Zealand produce industry is taking every action possible to reassure customers their safety systems are robust.
View Story07 May 2018
Professional Development - Fresh Produce Recall Workshop - Friday 1st June - Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre Auckland
19 Apr 2018
Applying for PLU Codes - TAG Update April 2018
Applications for PLU Codes are now managed by United Fresh here in New Zealand, if you require a PLU Code please make contact with TAG Chair, Dr Hans Maurer hmaurer@agrichain-centre.com
View Story28 Feb 2018
NSW Food Authority: Listeriosis outbreak linked to rockmelon
The NSW Food Authority is advising consumers who are most vulnerable to Listeria infection such as older persons, and people who have weakened immune systems due to illness or pregnancy, to avoid eating rockmelon after a recent spike in listeriosis cases in elderly people has been linked to the fruit.
View Story27 Feb 2018
NSW, Australia Listeria Outbreak Update
An outbreak of listeriosis has taken place in New South Wales with an unexpected increase in cases in January and February.
View Story25 Jan 2018
DataBar's move into the Produce Industry
Consumers, retailers, wholesalers, packhouses and growers alike are all familiar with fruit label- the tiny stickers commonly found on oranges, apples, kiwifruit, avocadoes and a myriad of other produce.
View Story10 Aug 2017
Technical Advisory Group Update - August 2017
United Fresh Technical Advisory Group members have attended several conferences as reported in this update.
View Story20 Jun 2017
Technical Advisory Group - Update June 2017
As you can see from the banner, our name has changed. We are no longer the Food Safety and Traceability Committee, but the Technical Advisory Group (TAG).
View Story10 Mar 2017
URGENT LeaderBrand salad product recall announcement
On Thursday the 9th of March at 11am, LeaderBrand Produce Ltd. was advised that one of its salad product lines tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria or ‘Listeria’ as it is more commonly known.
View Story10 Mar 2017
Reminder: New Food Safety Law and Templates for Businesses to Manage Food Safety
The Food Act is a new law for Food Safety, which came into effect on 1st March 2016.
View Story22 Sep 2016
United Fresh Food Safety & Traceability Update - September 2016
Food Safety Law Reform Bill - what it means for your fresh produce business
19 Aug 2016
A Note from Hastings District Council for Local Businesses
CHLORINATION OF HASTINGS WATER SUPPLY
16 Aug 2016
Important Notice for Horticulture businesses (growers, packhouses, distributors) from the Ministry for Primary Industries
Health officials in Havelock North have issued a boil water notice for Council water supply.
View Story28 Jul 2016
United Fresh Food Safety & Traceability Update - July 2016
In May 2016 the United Fresh Food Safety & Traceability Committee submitted a “Strategic Assessment in the New Zealand Domestic Fresh Produce Industry”
View Story13 May 2016
United Fresh AGM & Members Meeting 2016
Our United Fresh AGM & Members meeting held in Auckland on Thursday 12th May 2016 was well received by around 80 of our members
View Story17 Mar 2016
United Fresh Members Meeting and AGM - Diary Note - Thursday 12th May at 3:30pm
Please join us for our United Fresh Members Meeting and AGM.
View Story03 Feb 2016
New Food Act Takes Effect Next Month – Are you ready?
New Food Act and Guidelines for Fresh Produce Food Safety
View Story14 Dec 2015
MPI Update - Strain in fifth Hepatitis A case confirmed - 14 December 2015
Results from testing have now confirmed that the fifth person, who recently contracted Hepatitis A, as reported last week, has the same strain of the virus as the other four people who fell sick with Hepatitis in late October and early November this year.
View Story09 Dec 2015
New development in MPI’s berry investigation - 9 December 2015
A newly notified case of Hepatitis A is likely to be linked to the consumption of the Fruzio Mixed Berries product, which is currently the subject of an MPI-directed product recall.
30 Nov 2015
Ministry for Primary Industries Increase Surveillance of Imported Frozen Berry Products
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has released a media statement today regarding imported frozen berries and four reported cases of Hepatitis A.
View Story25 Nov 2015
United Fresh Food Safety & Traceability Update
October and November have been busy for the United Fresh Food Safety & Traceability Committee.
View Story13 Nov 2015
Last chance to register Biosecurity, Food Safety & Traceability Workshop – Tues 17th November
If you haven’t already registered for next Tuesday members’ workshop (being held in partnership with MPI) you will need to do so today
View Story30 Oct 2015
Register for our United Fresh Biosecurity, Food Safety & Traceability Workshop – 17/11/2015
We are pleased to present our Biosecurity, Food Safety & Traceability and Food Law Workshop in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries.
View Story06 Oct 2015
Biosecurity, Food Safety & Traceability Workshop
SAVE THE DATE - TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2015.
United Fresh New Zealand Incorporated in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries invite members to attend a workshop on Biosecurity, Food Safety & Traceability and Food Law.
06 Oct 2015
Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis - Reviewing the Impact
The United Fresh Food Safety Committee is undertaking a review of the issues surrounding the Yersenia Pseudotuberculosis Outbreak last year. The objective is to understand, from a domestic fresh produce industry perspective, the areas where we need to undertake planning in order to be better prepared for any future outbreaks.
04 Sep 2015
Strawberry Traceability Pilot 2016
This project focuses on the external traceability challenges arising in the domestic fresh market strawberry supply chain, as the fruit passes from grower to retailer. United Fresh is working with GS1 New Zealand in this pilot project.
View Story01 Sep 2015
Food Law Update
MPI will be launching an online tool to help people understand the Food Act 2014, which comes into affect on 1st March 2016.
01 Sep 2015
Food Safety, Food Security & Your Business Planning
United Fresh partnered with Horticulture New Zealand to present a 90 minute breakout session on Food Safety, Food Security and Your Business Planning at the HortNZ 2015 Conference this year.
View Story28 Aug 2015
Fresh Produce Safety Conference, Sydney August 2015
United Fresh attended this conference run by PMA Australia & New Zealand’s Fresh Produce Safety Centre, hosted at the University of Sydney.
18 Feb 2015
United Fresh Takes the Lead in Food Safety and Traceability
For over two decades United Fresh has worked on behalf of the New Zealand produce industry on Food Safety, Traceability and Industry Standards. To further strengthen this framework and safeguard food safety, we recently established the Food Safety and Traceability Committee.
View Story