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.

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.

Worldwide, produce industry bodies have been increasingly working with GS1 to implement national Traceability guidelines in a coordinated manner that are interoperable and enable rapid reactivity.

Reliable and robust Traceability systems are no longer an optional extra in the produce industry, but a baseline requirement of increasing importance.

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.

We have recently developed the Draft Traceability Guidelines that have evolved from the Sustainable Farming Fund Project “Effective Produce Traceability Systems”, managed by United Fresh.

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.

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). 

This edition discusses food safety aspects related to fresh berryfruit, melons and leafy vegetables. 

United Fresh is pleased to present this valuable workshop for members in partnership with the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre.

Our SFF Traceability project is looking to assist members and the entire value-chain by providing some understanding on how internal Traceability systems can be improved and external Traceability systems can become more robust and streamlined.

FPSC Ltd is seeking nominations to fill two Board vacancies, one from New Zealand (effective from 27 November 2019).

United Fresh Technical Advisory Group Representative Anne-Marie Arts will be presenting an update on the Sustainable Farming Fund Traceability Project.

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.

We are pleased to announce work has begun on a three-year project to investigate traceability within the 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.

United Fresh Technical Advisory Group members have attended several conferences as reported in this update.

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).

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.

October and November have been busy for the United Fresh Food Safety & Traceability Committee.

If you haven’t already registered for next Tuesday members’ workshop (being held in partnership with MPI) you will need to do so today

We are pleased to present our Biosecurity, Food Safety & Traceability and Food Law Workshop in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries.

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.

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.