Environmental Health Officers

Environmental Health Officers employed by the Timaru District Council inspect registered food businesses to ensure that the premises and food handling practices of the staff, comply with relevant food legislation to ensure that public health is not compromised.

Some premises can now operate under an Off the Peg Food Control Plan, which is an approved template Food Safety Programme developed by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA). TDC's Environmental Health Officers are also approved as verifiers by the NZFSA. Premises operating a Food Control Plan are audited to ensure that they are complying with the plan.

New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA)

NZFSA's role is to protect consumers of New Zealand food and food-related products, no matter where in the world they may be. It is NZFSA's role to ensure that the food produced and sold in New Zealand is safe, suitable and meets all requirements.

http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumer

Fundraising Events - selling Food (e.g. school or church fairs, sausage sizzles)

The Council is permitted under the Food Hygiene Regulations* to treat fund raising operations as "Occasional Food Premises", allowing the organisers to operate without a Registered Food Premises being used, on a LIMITED number of occasions.

While some of the strict physical requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations are relaxed for such situations, it is important to note that the conduct and maintenance provisions of the Regulations are still required.

All food must be sourced from registered food premises.

Pamphlets:
 Advice for Occasional Food Premises - Preparing Food in the home (306.58 kB)
 Food Protection (159.69 kB)

Homekill & Recreational catch (source- NZFSA website)

Homekill is the slaughtering and butchering of your own animal, either by yourself or by a listed homekill and recreational catch service provider, for your own use and consumption. The word 'use' means that animal owners can feed homekill meat to their animals.

Homekill cannot be traded for human or animal consumption. Those who use or consume homekill or recreational catch product do so at their own risk. As homekill and recreational catch meat has not been subject to any hygiene or processing standards or control, or any assessment, e.g. ante- or post-mortem inspection, no assurances can be given on its fitness for consumption.

Can you feed homekill meat to paying guests?
Those who supply a meal as part of a tourist package including farm-stays, hunting lodges, or tourist barbecues, cannot use homekill product as part of the food provided to their customers.
Paying guests also include those who pay board, fees or other forms of payment as part of an accommodation package. Institutions such as boarding schools, universities, hospitals and prisons cannot serve homekill and must provide inspected meat from a regulated source.

Can you feed homekill meat to paying guests?

Those who supply a meal as part of a tourist package including farm-stays, hunting lodges, or tourist barbecues, cannot use homekill product as part of the food provided to their customers.

Paying guests also include those who pay board, fees or other forms of payment as part of an accommodation package. Institutions such as boarding schools, universities, hospitals and prisons cannot serve homekill and must provide inspected meat from a regulated source.