Air New Zealand reveals outcome of its investigation into snack supplier Project 32

Air New Zealand launched a probe into Project 32 last month.

Air New Zealand has revealed the outcome of its investigation into Project 32, one of its onboard snack suppliers, after allegations the company’s claim it was Kiwi-owned was misleading.

The investigation was opened after New Zealand journalist David Farrier revealed on Webworm in October that the shareholders of Project 32 were Australian companies and its two directors, brothers Daniel and David Rifkin, were based in Australia.

Air NZ told Webworm that Project 32 had been supplying the airline with its snacks since November 2023 across a range of domestic and international services.

In an emailed statement to the Herald today, an Air New Zealand spokesperson said its review confirmed that the “New Zealand Owned” statement on Project 32’s packaging was incorrect.

“While the product is supplied to Air New Zealand by a New Zealand-registered company, the business was not New Zealand-owned at the time the packaging was produced,” the statement read.

It added that Project 32 has been working “openly and co-operatively” with the airline to resolve the issue and had transferred ownership to a New Zealander.

Days after the initial allegations, Project 32 made New Zealander Janice Tan a company director, effectively making the snack supplier a New Zealand company.

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The Air NZ statement said that Project 32 is committed to updating its packaging artwork for future stock and to ongoing transparency around its charitable giving, which, according to Webworm, lacked clarity.

This included moving from annual to quarterly donation cycles.

“Air New Zealand will use existing stock on hand to avoid unnecessary food and packaging waste,” the statement read.

“This also preserves the product’s gluten-free certification and ensures that charitable donations already committed this year can reach the communities they were intended to support.

“New packaging is expected by the end of summer.”

The spokesperson added that the airline has also reviewed and strengthened their processes for verifying supplier packaging and product claims to prevent similar problems from occurring again.

The Herald has contacted Project 32 for comment.

Varsha Anjali is a journalist in the lifestyle team at the Herald. Based in Auckland, she covers travel, culture and more.