Kiwiharvest, in collaboration with New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS), has created a new and innovative protocol so that more food can be rescued and delivered to those vulnerable due to the AUckland Anniversary Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.
While there are existing systems for such events, food rescue organisations are outside the NZFS umbrella and therefore have no existing regulations or protocols for such weather events.
Many food businesses damaged by the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle were left with compromised stock. However, the new protocols would allow large portions of these foods to be made safe for consumption through secure packaging and thorough cleaning performed by Kiwiharvest and approved by NZFS standards.
“Safe food is always our number one priority. Working with KiwiHarvest has helped us understand the practical challenges of getting safe food to people in need,” said New Zealand Food Safety Deputy Director-General Vincent Arbuckle.
On the Saturday of the Auckland Anniversary floods, Kiwiharvest tirelessly recovered 8,000 kilograms of flood-affected food, the equivalent of 22,850 meals, from the Mairangi Bay Countdown.
However, these meals were recovered without the support of the NZFS framework. CEO of Kiwiharvest, Angela Calver, and members of NZFS began working together to test these large quantities of food, simultaneously receiving expert food safety advice to ensure that these meals were safe for human consumption.
Only after all the food had been tested was Calver approved to distribute the food.
“While nobody wants to waste food, the last thing anyone caught up in these floods needs is food poisoning. We guided how to clean cans and hermetically sealed foods from potentially contaminated flood waters. KiwiHarvest has come up with a cleaning process that we have assessed and tested, allowing them to distribute these products,” stated Arbuckle.
The Auckland floods highlighted food safety regulation gaps for food rescue organisations. These new protocols have formed a streamlined process for organisations such as KiwiHarvest to rescue and distribute food safely should more weather events like the above occur.
Calver is excited to share these new protocols nationwide with Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance (AFRA) members.
“It’s a privilege to share this protocol with our fellow AFRA members who desperately want to support their communities in times of crisis. We believe that this will make a material difference to the food rescue sector as we fight to keep feeding those most vulnerable,” concluded Calver.
