POTENTIAL FOOD
TAMPERING LAW
SUPPORTED BY
New Zealand must protect
itself from those who threaten
food safety – be they reckless
pranksters or people intent on
nothing less than economic
sabotage, National MP and
spokesperson for food safety
Nathan Guy says.
In announcing a Members Bill that will
impose far stronger penalties on those
convicted of food tampering, he says
“idiotic behaviours” such as last year’s
Australian strawberry fiasco means our
neighbours have already acted in passing
stricter laws that seek to deter criminals who
contaminate food and water sources. “Food
tampering is not only economic sabotage
on farmers and growers but also poses
significant risks for consumers and New
Zealand’s reputation as a producer of high
quality and safe food,” Guy says. The Crimes
(Contamination Offences) Amendment Bill will
help deter this offending by creating three new
offences in the Crimes Act, and will increase
those penalties to align them with the more
serious offences of corruption, espionage,
treason and piracy, Guy says.
Nathan Guy’s Crimes (Contamination
Offences) Amendment Bill will:
• Criminalise the contamination of food to
cause public alarm, national economic loss
or harm to public health with a penalty level
of 14 years' imprisonment.
• Criminalise making threats to contaminate
food for those purposes with a penalty level
of 10 years.
• Criminalise hoax statements that cause
public alarm, national economic loss or harm
to public health to 10 years.
• See the maximum term of imprisonment for
intentionally contaminating food increase
from 10 to 14 years.
Support for the amendment bill from food
manufacturers and major players has been swift.
INDUSTRY
16 FEBRUARY 2019