Free Government Food Safety Courses Help Thousands of Food Business Staff

Thousands of food business staff have benefitted from the Government’s new online food safety courses so far, with the third free module in the series going live today, says Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard.

The Food Safety Basics training modules launched just four months ago have been well received by food businesses, says Mr Hoggard.

More than 7,000 people have accessed the first module introducing food safety and over 3,000 the most recently launched one on hygiene.

Food businesses are a critical part of our economy, and the Government is committed to finding and removing obstacles to their success.

With food safety training costing anywhere from $50 to $200 a staff member, these free resources are not only providing an important line of defence for consumers but also saving businesses money.

The third module in the series of six is ‘Maintaining a food safe workplace.

The content covers cleaning and sanitising, pest control, and how maintenance, storage, and managing waste can affect food safety.

The Food Safety Basics course has been developed with input from the Restaurant Association, Hospitality NZ, restaurants, cafes, and local authorities. The remaining modules – which cover handling food safely, allergens, and traceability and recalls – should all be available online by early next year.

This free training is just one part of ongoing practical changes to make food safety simpler and smarter for food businesses of all sizes, says Mr Hoggard.

Other recent changes by the Government include: levelling the playing field for food businesses with multiple sites by applying consistent verification rules across the country changing the rules for small-scale meat processors so they cut costs thanks to reduced sampling and testing requirements, while maintaining current high food safety standards reducing costs for home-based cake makers by removing ongoing verification and revising registration requirements introducing new rules so food exporters whose products meet the requirements of the importing country no longer needed to apply for special exemptions from New Zealand rules.

The free online courses can be completed here.