The voluntary Food Control Plan: it looks big, really it’s simple, and if you’re not on board already then get on board.

By Kathy Ombler

This is the succinct advice from Adam Cunningham, HANZ Wellington branch chair, hospitality trainer and foodservice business operator, talking about the voluntary, free, ‘off the peg’ food control plan available on template from the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) website for foodservice operators.
The template plan has been available for two years now. It is fully aligned to the objectives outlined in the new Food Bill, which after languishing for nearly three years was finally introduced to Parliament in May. However, just 1300 businesses have come onboard, a number which disappoints Cunningham.
He says when it comes to food safety – New Zealand is so far behind the rest of the western world we need to step up.
“There’s nothing anyone can do about the slow passage of new food legislation, so from a volunteer point of view we should just get on with it.
“Those operators leaving it to the last minute or until they are forced by legislation are the operators who have given us the bad reputation we have.”
No-one is arguing about the need for new legislation. NZFSA policy director, Carole Inkster, says the Food Act had not been updated for 30 years and the current regulatory system has not been effective or efficient.
“We’ve had a huge ratio of food-borne illnesses in New Zealand and nowhere has there been any assistance for local government as to how they interpret or deliver the Food Act.
“The objective to improve food safety in New Zealand (with the new legislation) hasn’t changed. The big difference is to shift responsibility for producing certified food to the person actually handling that food. That’s quite significant, people have been used to thinking a local or central government regulator has been responsible.”
As the Purpose of the new Food Bill, section 4(e), states: “… to require persons who trade in food to take responsibility for the safety and suitability of that food”.
HANZ southern North Island regional manager, Tracy Scott, welcomes the new focus, also that it entails regular, daily monitoring.
“The previous policy was for a premise to be inspected once a year. Anyone can clean their place up for a day. The context of the Food Control Plan, which is encompassed into the new Food Bill, is that foodservice operators have to be responsible at all times.”
The Plan involves keeping a daily diary or journal of accountability, says Scott.
“It’s important to be able to prove compliance every day. An inspector should be able to go into a premise any day of the year and get an entire picture rather than just a snapshot of what can be seen on that day.”
The NZFSA has prepared the voluntary Food Control Plan template to help the industry come onboard while waiting for enactment of the new legislation, says Inkster.
“Our key objective is to change the regime in a very cost effective way. One issue is that if you go out to industry without templates then expensive consultants fill the gap. We are working with industry to let them know this resource is available.”
Scott says that to date the voluntary process has been useful in that several anomalies have been fixed, and those who have taken the Plan onboard on are seeing it as beneficial. However there remain two major barriers in getting absolute buy in from foodservice operators.
First, it’s not yet a legal requirement and there has been a slower uptake of the voluntary programme than anticipated, says Alison Box, Wellington City Council manager public health.
As of April, Wellington City Council had registered just 81 premises on the voluntary programme.
“While NZFSA has been keen to get as many premises on board as they can, the problem we’re experiencing is there’s no (legal) driver for people to change at the moment. We’re having to do a sales pitch.”
Loss of momentum through the delay of the Food Bill has also been an issue, says Scott.
“When the new legislation was being developed people got involved and excited and nothing happened. We are very aware we are losing momentum with those in the industry who have been enthusiastic about rolling out the new programme.”
By the far biggest issue is the size of the template.
Wellington City Council team leader, public health Raaj Govinda, has been involved with the roll out since day one. He says the majority of businesses are overwhelmed with the size of the template Food Control Plan (FCP) and diary when they look at it for the first time.
“It screams more paperwork which they do not have time for, especially for businesses who are owner and operator with a maximum of two staff.”
However, it’s not as bad as it looks, says Govinda.
“Premises that are graded 'Excellent' are already doing most of what is required in the FCP and are keeping records of these. All that is required is for them to start populating the Diary that comes with the FCP and tailor some of their processes which they may not necessarily have documented into the FCP so that their processes can be made transparent, especially for the training of staff.”
He says these issues are being overcome with Council-provided training on how to tailor the FCPs and use the diaries to the advantage of the business, with working examples provided. 
“Another approach being considered for businesses that require a little more assistance is to introduce them to the FCP and Diary in bite-size pieces (a segmented introduction), so that one topic is tackled and mastered at a time.”
The training organised by Wellington City Council, contacted to Artisan Consulting, effectively became a pilot scheme for helping businesses get started on the voluntary FCPs. After seeing the positive impact of the Wellington pilot, NZFSA contracted Artisan to carry out training around the country for all operators who have signed up to the volunteer programme.
Adam Cunningham, a director of Artisan, agrees the way the FCP is developed makes it looks huge.
“If you look at that folder it would put anyone off. From a small business operator point of view, if I was given that package I would shake my head and say, not more red tape.
“The reality is it’s very simple. It’s just that the material is so packed with information it makes it look much bigger.
“What operators need to know is that out of all the pages of information in that manual only 18 are required to be filled out to keep an ongoing record of food safety in their business.
“All the other information is training, and really it’s that good it should replace all the training manuals in all the training providers throughout the country. It’s the food safety training bible.
“Most chefs will know at least 90 per cent of what’s included. It’s designed for the lowest common denominator, for the part time, unqualified kitchen hand,” he adds.
“We’ve given NZFSA feedback, suggesting the training manual is given to all businesses free of charge, but combining it with the plan makes it look unwieldy.”
Cunningham says having just completed 30 seminars over three months throughout New Zealand the classic, overriding statement has been: if we’d known it was this simple we would have got on board a lot earlier.
“The business operators were rapt, they left after the half day course saying this is actually simple.”
Cunningham urges all foodservice operators to get on board with the FCP, and to go to their local council for guidance.
Raaj Govinda agrees. “Get in touch with your area environmental health officer and enquire about the FCP and the training or assistance the Council is able to provide for the uptake. The Food Bill is in Parliament now and will not be too far away from becoming law. It is better to make use of the free advice and training whilst they are being offered.”
In a statement released in May, Minister for Food Safety, Kate Wilkinson, says the new Food Bill is expected to be enacted by March 31, 2011.

RWC – about that food poisoning incident…
Of all the legacies we strive to achieve from the Rugby World Cup 2011, inflicting food poisoning on players and spectators is not one of them.
There’s echoes here of previous, poisoned drama; of “that final”, when food poisoning was attributed to the All Black loss in the 1995 World Cup in South Africa.
Closer to home and of more concern considering next year’s event, is the case in 2006 at Eden Park when 376 corporate guests were stricken with the gastrobug norovirus after being served thawed Korean oysters, contrary to cooking instructions, following an All Blacks vs Ireland test. This is believed to be New Zealand’s largest ever single outbreak of foodborne illness.
Rugby World Cup organisers are working closely with food safety officials to ensure such an incident won’t happen again – on any scale. Specific requirements have already been put in place for hosting hotels and stadia, while public events managed by local councils and marae catering are also under the food safety spotlight.
Glen Neal, NZFSA assistant director (food service, sale and import), has been liaising closely with RWC2011, the organisation managing the Rugby World Cup. He says the main focus is ensuring the voluntary Food Control Plan is implemented at all key foodservice venues.
“Following our advice to RWC2011 there has been a requirement that all 48 hotels and stadia and official on-site VIP caterers involved in the event have taken up the voluntary food safety plan.
“As well, we are working with our council colleagues to increase vigilance, for example carrying out three audits on (involved foodservice) facilities between now and the end of the Rugby World Cup.
“We are also keeping an eye on the wider picture; ensuring the festival areas where local councils are hosting ‘live sites’ or ‘party central’ venues for the public are covered by food safety plans.”
Neal says food safety officials are also working with RWC2011 and Te Puni Kokiri in the development of a marae hosting programme, selecting marae that are suitable for hosting visiting teams and VIPs.
“We have developed Te Kai Manawa Ora; a very ‘tikanga’ focused educational resource similar to the Food Control Plan.”
Neal agrees that food safety is an ongoing concern, not just something to focus on during the Rugby World Cup; he believes the event provides opportunity build awareness of the voluntary programme, which is completely aligned with the new Food Bill.
“Rugby World Cup 2011 has the catch cry ‘building legacy’. This means the event is not just about a six week rugby tournament, it is also an opportunity to create meaningful change for the future. For us it creates opportunity to get more uptake of the voluntary Food Control Plan, and to bring more marae up to standard for the delivery of foodservice.”
And from a personal point of view, if it means upgrading the standard of burgers at the Cake Tin, Neal will be particularly pleased.