Horticulture New Zealand: Horticulture New Zealand and MPI are making steady progress on the recognition of the GAP schemes for Food Act verification, which will mean that meeting Food Act requirements will be seamless for GAP approved growers. MPI has recently acknowledged that the NZGAP Scheme, checklist and auditors meet the Food Act requirements under National Programme level 1 and are currently looking at the acceptance of other GAP schemes and checklists used by growers (e.g. GLOBALG.A.P.). This will mean that your next GAP audit will also count as a Food Act audit, reducing compliance costs for growers.

Horticulture New Zealand is also working with MPI on coordinating Food Act registration for your horticulture business. In the New Year, we will have a more robust Food Act update while the detail of the roll out is worked through between industry and MPI, so there is no action required from growers at this stage.

Read the full update in the Horticulture New Zealand e-newsletter