Latest news with #NewZealandFoodSafety
Scoop
2 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Prevent You And Your Loved Ones Getting Life-Threatening Listeriosis
Press Release – New Zealand Food Safety Listeriosis is rare in New Zealand and cases are usually not connected, whereas cases recorded in other countries are predominantly due to outbreaks. New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) wants people to take some practical steps to avoid a rare and life-threatening but preventable foodborne illness. 'While rare, every year people die from listeriosis – a disease caused by the bacterium Listeria – and the effects are tragic for their families,' says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'Listeriosis can be prevented and there are simple steps people can take at home to avoid getting sick. We are working to help some of those most at risk – pregnant and older people – better understand the risks of listeriosis and what to do to decrease them.' Listeriosis is a result of eating or drinking food that has high levels of Listeria, a bacterium which is widespread in the environment. Listeria is invisible, has no odour and, unlike most bacteria, can grow when food is refrigerated. Listeriosis is rare in New Zealand and cases are usually not connected, whereas cases recorded in other countries are predominantly due to outbreaks. In New Zealand, there were seven deaths in 2023, with 40 people hospitalised in the past year. 'Infections in healthy adults are unlikely to be severe, but listeriosis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour, stillbirth, or disease in the newborn baby,' says Mr Arbuckle. 'As you age – and particularly over 65 – your immune system gets weaker. This means foods you safely ate in the past may no longer be safe for you to eat. 'Some people may not be aware of this. So, we're highlighting higher-risk foods while sharing some food-safety advice on how to make them safe to eat.' Higher-risk foods include: ready-to-eat meat products, like deli meats and pâtés smoked seafood (especially cold smoked fish) soft cheeses (like brie and camembert) uncooked paneer cheese unpasteurised dairy products (like raw milk and cheese) soft serve ice-cream leafy greens and bagged salad (like mesclun and spinach) uncooked sprouts (like alfalfa and mung beans) and enoki mushrooms uncooked frozen vegetables some refrigerated foods with a long shelf life pre-prepared sandwiches and salads. To lower the risk of getting listeriosis, you can: choose safer foods cook food thoroughly only eat fruit and vegetables that have been washed and dried thoroughly only eat food that was recently prepared refrigerate leftovers quickly preheat food to steaming hot (more than 70°C) before eating avoid eating leftovers that won't be reheated wash and dry your hands thoroughly and follow good food hygiene practices. 'Saturday 7 June was World Food Safety Day, and this year's theme is Science in Action. Good science remains the foundation for our food safety system,' says Mr Arbuckle. 'All of our food safety advice is backed by evidence from scientific research. It helps us with the range of work we do from understanding the prevalence of different foodborne illnesses, to ensuring we are giving consumers the most effective and accurate advice possible. 'Science also informs our regulations around food businesses managing food safety risks. NZFS requires food businesses to manage Listeria in the processing environment and have measures in place to eliminate its presence in products. 'If something goes wrong, we support businesses with their consumer-level food recalls. Last year there were three consumer recalls due to the possible presence of Listeria. 'But there's also something you can do to protect yourself and others. If you make or buy food for vulnerable people, or are perhaps vulnerable yourself, sign up to our food recall alerts. 'And look out for our campaign so you can share it with people who may not know the life-threatening risks of listeriosis.'
Scoop
2 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Prevent You And Your Loved Ones Getting Life-Threatening Listeriosis
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) wants people to take some practical steps to avoid a rare and life-threatening but preventable foodborne illness. 'While rare, every year people die from listeriosis - a disease caused by the bacterium Listeria - and the effects are tragic for their families,' says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'Listeriosis can be prevented and there are simple steps people can take at home to avoid getting sick. We are working to help some of those most at risk - pregnant and older people - better understand the risks of listeriosis and what to do to decrease them.' Listeriosis is a result of eating or drinking food that has high levels of Listeria, a bacterium which is widespread in the environment. Listeria is invisible, has no odour and, unlike most bacteria, can grow when food is refrigerated. Listeriosis is rare in New Zealand and cases are usually not connected, whereas cases recorded in other countries are predominantly due to outbreaks. In New Zealand, there were seven deaths in 2023, with 40 people hospitalised in the past year. 'Infections in healthy adults are unlikely to be severe, but listeriosis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour, stillbirth, or disease in the newborn baby,' says Mr Arbuckle. 'As you age - and particularly over 65 - your immune system gets weaker. This means foods you safely ate in the past may no longer be safe for you to eat. 'Some people may not be aware of this. So, we're highlighting higher-risk foods while sharing some food-safety advice on how to make them safe to eat.' Higher-risk foods include: ready-to-eat meat products, like deli meats and pâtés smoked seafood (especially cold smoked fish) soft cheeses (like brie and camembert) uncooked paneer cheese unpasteurised dairy products (like raw milk and cheese) soft serve ice-cream leafy greens and bagged salad (like mesclun and spinach) uncooked sprouts (like alfalfa and mung beans) and enoki mushrooms uncooked frozen vegetables some refrigerated foods with a long shelf life pre-prepared sandwiches and salads. To lower the risk of getting listeriosis, you can: choose safer foods cook food thoroughly only eat fruit and vegetables that have been washed and dried thoroughly only eat food that was recently prepared refrigerate leftovers quickly preheat food to steaming hot (more than 70°C) before eating avoid eating leftovers that won't be reheated wash and dry your hands thoroughly and follow good food hygiene practices. 'Saturday 7 June was World Food Safety Day, and this year's theme is Science in Action. Good science remains the foundation for our food safety system,' says Mr Arbuckle. 'All of our food safety advice is backed by evidence from scientific research. It helps us with the range of work we do from understanding the prevalence of different foodborne illnesses, to ensuring we are giving consumers the most effective and accurate advice possible. 'Science also informs our regulations around food businesses managing food safety risks. NZFS requires food businesses to manage Listeria in the processing environment and have measures in place to eliminate its presence in products. 'If something goes wrong, we support businesses with their consumer-level food recalls. Last year there were three consumer recalls due to the possible presence of Listeria. 'But there's also something you can do to protect yourself and others. If you make or buy food for vulnerable people, or are perhaps vulnerable yourself, sign up to our food recall alerts. 'And look out for our campaign so you can share it with people who may not know the life-threatening risks of listeriosis.'
Scoop
5 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
New Food Safety Booklet Features Science-Backed Tips To Avoid Food Poisoning
Whether you're making family dinner, heating up leftovers, packing lunch for the kids, or having friends over for a barbecue, New Zealand Food Safety has great science-backed tips to keep everyone safe. 'Every year, thousands of New Zealanders get food poisoning. Many of these foodborne illnesses are due to poor food preparation, cooking, or storage at home,' says New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'There's a wide range of symptoms, ranging from the inconvenient to the life-threatening for people vulnerable to illness. 'NZFS already has a wealth of science-based information on its Food safety at home webpages to help you prevent getting foodborne illnesses. This year, to coincide with World Food Safety Day tomorrow, we have distilled all this expertise into a new booklet of simple tips for avoiding foodborne illness in the home.' From the store to your table, the Food safety at home booklet is packed with science-based food-safety advice. It contains: The latest evidence-based recommendations for preparing, cooking, storing, and transporting food safely. Did you know: Handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent foodborne illness. Washing them before preparing or eating food helps prevent germs spreading to your food. Updated advice on handling and cooking raw meat and meat products; barbecuing and eating outdoors; keeping at-risk people safe; and how long you can keep leftovers. Did you know: You can keep leftovers for up to 4 days in the fridge if you are going to eat them hot. But leftovers of cooked meals you won't be reheating – like pasta salad – should only be kept for 2 days. Dedicated sections on use-by and best-before dates and advice for shellfish gatherers. Did you know: If a food is past its use-by date, throw it away as it's not safe to eat. But if it's past its best-before and it smells and looks okay, it probably is. Check it, sniff it, taste it – don't waste it. World Food Safety Day - jointly led by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - highlights the importance of food safety for the health, prosperity and wellbeing of people around the world. The theme for 2025 is 'Science in action'. 'Our advice is based on up-to-date science, it's now up to you to take action,' says Mr Arbuckle. You can download your own Food safety at home booklet on our website. And, to celebrate World Food Safety Day,try our quiz on Facebook tomorrow to see how food safety savvy you are.
Scoop
6 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
New Report Highlights Food Safety System At Work
Press Release – NZ Food Safety The 2024 report shows New Zealand Food Safety supported food businesses to conduct 88 consumer-level food recalls. Allergens in food were the leading cause for recalls in 2024, accounting for 46 percent of all recalls. A report by New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) identifies the recall of imported sesame seeds with the potential to cause Salmonella poisoning as last year's biggest food safety event. The Consumer-level food recalls annual report for 2024, published today, says Salmonella was detected during routine testing by a New Zealand business importing the seeds. 'Thanks to the swift action of the team at NZFS, risk to the public was minimised. It was complex and meticulous work, involving testing and tracing potentially affected sesame seeds through the domestic market,' says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'As a result of these efforts potentially affected product was identified and removed from shelves. In total there were 15 related recalls where the seeds were used, including as ingredients in other products. Most importantly there were no confirmed reports of related illness. 'Recalls are an important part of our work to protect consumers. New Zealand's food safety system has a strong track record of keeping people safe and – given the volumes of food being produced, manufactured and imported – incidences of related illness remain rare. 'However, there are occasions when food safety issues occur, and that's when we work quickly with food businesses to recall the affected product, removing it from the food supply chain and promoting public awareness. 'Good regulations also play a key role. The rules for imported sesame seeds have recently been strengthened. They now receive more scrutiny at the border to help minimise the risk of Salmonella contamination.' The 2024 report shows New Zealand Food Safety supported food businesses to conduct 88 consumer-level food recalls. 'It's important to note that the number of recalls is not an accurate indicator of the level of risk to consumers. Numbers are dependent on many factors, including regulatory changes, business and public awareness of food-related problems, and reporting of those problems,' says Mr Arbuckle. Of the 88 recalls, 56 were initiated for domestically produced foods and 32 were for imported foods. Allergens in food were the leading cause for recalls in 2024, accounting for 46 percent of all recalls. 'Food recalls are a sign that our food safety system is working to protect consumers,' says Mr Arbuckle. 'You can help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts from the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page: 'With World Food Safety Day coming up on Saturday [7 June] it's a good time to make sure you've got the latest information to help keep you and yours safe.'
Scoop
6 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
New Report Highlights Food Safety System At Work
A report by New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) identifies the recall of imported sesame seeds with the potential to cause Salmonella poisoning as last year's biggest food safety event. The Consumer-level food recalls annual report for 2024, published today, says Salmonella was detected during routine testing by a New Zealand business importing the seeds. 'Thanks to the swift action of the team at NZFS, risk to the public was minimised. It was complex and meticulous work, involving testing and tracing potentially affected sesame seeds through the domestic market,' says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'As a result of these efforts potentially affected product was identified and removed from shelves. In total there were 15 related recalls where the seeds were used, including as ingredients in other products. Most importantly there were no confirmed reports of related illness. "Recalls are an important part of our work to protect consumers. New Zealand's food safety system has a strong track record of keeping people safe and – given the volumes of food being produced, manufactured and imported – incidences of related illness remain rare. "However, there are occasions when food safety issues occur, and that's when we work quickly with food businesses to recall the affected product, removing it from the food supply chain and promoting public awareness. 'Good regulations also play a key role. The rules for imported sesame seeds have recently been strengthened. They now receive more scrutiny at the border to help minimise the risk of Salmonella contamination.' The 2024 report shows New Zealand Food Safety supported food businesses to conduct 88 consumer-level food recalls. "It's important to note that the number of recalls is not an accurate indicator of the level of risk to consumers. Numbers are dependent on many factors, including regulatory changes, business and public awareness of food-related problems, and reporting of those problems," says Mr Arbuckle. Of the 88 recalls, 56 were initiated for domestically produced foods and 32 were for imported foods. Allergens in food were the leading cause for recalls in 2024, accounting for 46 percent of all recalls. "Food recalls are a sign that our food safety system is working to protect consumers," says Mr Arbuckle. "You can help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts from the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page: 'With World Food Safety Day coming up on Saturday [7 June] it's a good time to make sure you've got the latest information to help keep you and yours safe."
