Maggots head food complaints

SPOILER ALERT: Most food poisoning happens at home and uncooked chicken is one of the major culprits.

Gingerbread wriggling with maggots, a sausage roll growing fuzz on it, a salmonella outbreak and the sale of four-year-old frozen oysters were among bought food complaints the Ministry of Primary Industries dealt with from Whangarei in the past three years.

Of a dozen complaints in that period, there were four last year and only one this year.

One 2013 incident involved 11 food poisoning cases traced to contaminated butter, rather than an on-site food handling breach, at an undisclosed Whangarei outlet.

But with the season now here for sharing meals, cooking outdoors and carrying food over distances, authorities are warning people to maintain safe handling practices.

Most food poisoning cases stem from food prepared at home, not in the commercial sector, Whangarei District Council regulatory services manager Grant Couchman said.

"Very few infections are attributed to Whangarei businesses that sell food," Mr Couchman said.

Undercooked chicken and carelessly stored seafood are common sources of illness, and barbecues - the cooking method as well as the social setting - can hasten the spread of bugs from person to person.

NorthTec hospitality programme leader Lisette Buckle said courses had a strong practical focus on food safety particular to the region.

"In Northland, the fluctuations of temperatures and how hot it gets in the summer means it is much more important to place emphasis on things that are particular to hot weather," she said.

Northlanders are also keen shellfish gatherers and fisherman and that food can be high risk if not handled correctly, she said.

Mr Couchman attributes the low number of commercial sales cases reported in recent years to the council's improved safety and licensing programme which is based on auditing and quality control carried out in and by the food outlet, rather than an inspection-based system.

"Six years ago [WDC] saw this not as a licensing issue but as a public safety one. We are way in front of the eight ball, and leading Northland on this," Mr Couchman said.

The recently introduced Food Act 2014 means a similar programme will be mandatory for licensed food outlets across New Zealand by March 2016.

The Whangarei council has about 80 per cent of food premises working in accordance already, Mr Couchman said.

The change means outlets subject to complaints will have their data management and quality assurance systems audited by the licensing council, with infringements referred to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI).

MPI can suspend a business or close it down, impose fines, recall food and issue public notifications to protect consumers.

Meanwhile, hosts and cooks have to take responsibility for food safety at home, avoiding spreading food-borne illnesses by washing hands before and after handling food, thoroughly cleaning chopping boards and utensils and ensuring food isn't undercooked, left unchilled or is too old. Buyers need to read food labels carefully and report products sold past their use-by dates.