Dairy sector report out: changes mooted

The botulism scare over whey protein concentrate sparked a widespread product recall. Photo / Bevan Conley

Working group recommendations released after botulism scare.

A series of recommendations have been made to overhaul the dairy sector after a system investigation sparked by the botulism scare.

The Dairy Capability Working Group established last year has just released a report which made 10 recommendations.

Three of those are for immediate action: the introduction of voluntary guidelines on food safety governance for board directors, the need to highlight food safety across the sector and improving cross-sector capability through a programme of industry/regulator secondments involving the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Two years ago, it was revealed that a dirty pipe at Fonterra's Hautapu plant in the Waikato might have contaminated three batches of a whey protein with bacteria that can cause botulism.

That resulted in investigations and the working group being established.

A ministry said statement said other key recommendations were promoting a food safety culture across the dairy sector and ensuring common understandings of food safety, enhancing the relevance and scope of food safety education and training, especially for leadership and non-specialist roles and raising the profile of food safety careers.

Greg Gent, the group's chairman, said there were areas of education and training where a greater emphasis on food safety awareness would benefit the sector, "particularly in leadership roles and in broader qualifications that require food safety awareness. We also found a need to give food safety careers a higher profile and to articulate clear career pathways across the dairy sector.

"That, however, is only part of what is required to future-proof our dairy sector's food safety capability. We also need to build a common sector-wide food safety culture. That culture needs to be based on a common understanding of food safety across the sector that places consumer safety firmly at the centre, coupled with supporting governance and a risk management orientation within each organisation," Gent said.