EDITOR'S NOTE
www.foodtechnology.co.nz 3
BALANCE THE MEAT WITH THE WHEAT
There seems to be an all or nothing approach
with change in terms of the feel within the
public sector – and when it comes to meat, it’s
in the sniper scopes.
Change is always interesting. It’s brought about
by loud voices; those that speak loudest when
backed by a snippet of information are often
heard most. The target that dairy and meat
farmers have on their backs is absurd and short
sighted. Industry is by no means all-or-nothing…
it’s not all plant-based that the world needs to go
– or haven’t we already learned that?
A mix… and that inevitable word that holds a lot
of power in my opinion – balance.
Meat free? Yeah, no thanks. A balanced
proportion that works – of course.
CRIMES (CONTAMINATION
OFFENCES) AMENDMENT
BILL OP-ED
Food tampering is an immensely serious offence, with the potential for huge economic,
health and reputational implications when committed. Despite the seriousness of the topic
many see it as a mere prank, which was shown last year by the needles in strawberries
cases in Australia, and subsequent copycats in New Zealand. The consequences of these
acts are serious, and therefore the deterrents need to be equally so. I’ve placed a Members
Bill in the Ballot that would address the issue and implement penalties that are more
appropriate for the seriousness of the crime.
As well as the
obvious health
consequences of
eating contaminated
food, there are
many other concerns that can
be raised in terms of supply,
packaging and profitability
when there is a case of food
contamination. It amounts to
economic sabotage and poses
significant risks for consumers
and New Zealand’s reputation as
a producer of high quality and
safe food.
The Australian Government acted
CHIT CHAT
By Nathan Guy, MP
swiftly and decisively as a result
of the needles in strawberries
cases, but in New Zealand the
Government has sat on its hands
despite pleas from many within
the food and grocery sector.
These changes would mean
criminalising the contamination
of food to cause public alarm,
national economic loss or harm
to public health, or making
threats or hoax statements
about contaminating food for
those purposes. They would
also see the maximum term of
imprisonment for intentionally
contaminating food increased
from 10 to 14 years. These are
common sense changes that
would mean more piece of mind
for those in the sector, and could
also lead to less unnecessary
packaging on products.
In their current state penalties
for these crimes are aligned
more with offences relating to
dishonesty and conspiracy. I
would argue that this is much
more serious, and my Crimes
(Contamination Offences)
Amendment Bill will increase
those penalties to align them
with the more serious offences of
corruption and espionage.
If my Bill is drawn from the Ballot
I’ll work closely with National’s
Food Safety spokesperson
Todd Muller to implement these
changes. My Bill recognises the
serious physical, psychological
and economic effects of such
actions. New Zealanders need
to know their food is safe
and manufacturers should be
protected from economic loss
these offenders can cause. By
implementing the changes in
my Members Bill we would be
sending a strong message that
food tampering is a serious
matter.
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