NEW FOUNDATION
FOOD SAFETY INFO
New Zealand
Food Safety is
urging all food
Fast and
accurate
results with
GENE-UP® PCR
TOGETHER WE
BUILD AND PROTECT
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
GLOBAL EXPERTS
IN FOOD ASSURANCE
Ÿ Pathogen test results in just 24 hours
Ÿ Listeria – Salmonella – Cronobacter (formally E. sakazakii)
Ÿ Unique dual detection using FRET technology and Melt analysis
Ÿ Improved specificity delivering a market-leading low false-positive rate
GENE-UP® is IANZ accredited & approved under MPI Recognised Laboratory Programme for export testing
Choose the test you can trust
Tel. 0508 00 11 22
www.asurequality.com
FT590
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ADDS VALUE TO
NEW ZEALAND FOOD MANUFACTURERS
AsureQuality’s Auckland Food
Laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025
accredited and is the largest of its
type in Australasia. With regular
changes being made to food
safety and regulatory standards,
new technology can help food
businesses stay ahead of the game.
AsureQuality’s GENE-UP Polymerase
Chain Reaction (PCR) technology
returns results in just 24 hours and
is one example of how technology is
adding real value to AsureQuality’s
customers. Production time matters
in the food industry and rapid results
can equate to additional shelf life for
ready-to-eat categories, or allow for
quick action if a pathogen has been
detected. The accuracy of a chosen
test is the most important part of any
pathogen surveillance programme
and GENE-UP uses innovative dual
detection technology which improves
the specificity, delivering a marketleading
low false-positive rate. For
more information on GENE-UP and
other testing services, please call
0508 00 11 22 or go to
www.asurequality.com.
Director of food regulation
Paul Dansted says the
guide has been developed
with the support of the
Institute of Directors and is designed
to assist directors, executives and
business owners understand their
responsibilities in relation to food
safety and to improve food safety
culture in their businesses. The
guide contains information on the
importance of food governance,
and tools to monitor and verify
food safety system performance.
“Having a strong food safety culture
is vital. It’s important for the health
of our consumers and the strength
of our economy that New Zealand
food continues to be safe and
suitable and we protect our good
reputation,” Dansted says. Most
food business owners, managers
and staff have an inherent sense of
pride in what they are doing and are
motivated to build and maintain a
good reputation for their business.
“However, more businesses need to
adopt specific food safety goals, key
performance indicators, and formal
rewards systems for staff who
identify food safety problems. We
also recommend that businesses
develop a more inclusive and shared
sense of responsibility for food
safety across the whole organisation
supply chain.” The Institute of
Directors supports directors and
boards understanding their roles
in food safety governance, with
president Liz Coutts stressing that
a thriving food industry underpins
New Zealand’s economy and our
future prosperity. “Food safety is
critical to trust and confidence in
our products and services. Boards
and directors have a key role in
driving excellence in food safety
governance to ensure the long-term
sustainability of their organisations
and industries. I encourage directors
to make sure food safety is on the
board agenda and to use this guide
to help ensure we raise food safety
standards in New Zealand.”
www.mpi.govt.nz/nzfoodsafety
business directors,
executives and
owners to read a
new publication
that provides
foundation food
safety information.
66 ANNUAL DIRECTORY 2019
/www.asurequality.com
/www.asurequality.com
/nzfoodsafety
