Home bakes can still be sold

Fears that home-made baking may be a thing of the past have been eased by Masterton District Council, which reminded people of the food safety guidelines at a car boot sale.

Diane Grant said in a letter to the Times-Age that the council unveiled its new food safety guidelines at a Masterton South Rotary car boot sale a few weeks ago.

"After that, home baking such as that sold at the market and the local church bake stalls ... may be a thing of the past," she said.

Council communications adviser Sam Rossiter-Stead said an updated version of the guidelines was handed out to stallholders earlier this month, although the policy itself had not changed.

He said the rules had been designed to assist stallholders in the production and sale of safe food.

"In the case of people who sell low-risk foods such as jams, chutneys, biscuits and lollies, these guidelines will help them to continue to trade," he said.

"We will keep working with the Rotary Club to monitor the situation, and experience tells us that this type of organised market operates a good degree of self-regulation among the stallholders."

Food and beverage stalls are regularly inspected by the council, which can follow up with more inspections.