New Zealand boasts a strong fundraising culture. Sports clubs and teams, charities, and individuals often hit the streets in their droves in the name of raising funds for special events or causes. One of the most popular fundraising methods is the sale of food, but how are you supposed to know whether you require a food safety certificate, a food plan, or you have to register under the Food Act 2014?

Contents

• When You Don’t Have to Register and Comply with The Food Act 2014

• When You Have to Register with The Food Act 2014

• How to Keep Food Safe During a Fundraiser

• What to Remember When You’re Planning Your Fundraising Event

• What You Could Learn with a Food Safety Certificate

• What Next?

Whether you are leading a fundraising effort, or you’re a part of one, it’s helpful to know what your requirements are. You can then go full steam ahead with fundraising preparations, knowing you are doing so safely. Here’s everything you need to know about food safety for fundraising and community events in New Zealand.

When You Don’t Have to Register and Comply with The Food Act 2014

Many businesses and establishments that sell food have to register and comply with The Food Act 2014. However, there are situations where you don’t. All food for sale must be safe and suitable for consumption, but loopholes exist for temporary food sales in the name of fundraising.

You will not have to register if you fundraise by way of food sales fewer than 20 times per year. It is also not a requirement if you serve food at a social club, sports club, marae, or similar, where food is not the event’s purpose. For example, if you are serving saveloys to sports players after a match, or lunch for groups at a marae.

If you are organising a local fair which happens once per year, you are not obligated to register under the Food Act 2014 either. However, once again, you must make sure that all food is safe and suitable for consumption. A food safety certificate can help arm you with the correct knowledge to produce and sell food safely.

When You Have to Register with The Food Act 2014

If you’re not sure what your legal requirements are concerning the Food Act 2014, then here are a few of the examples where registration will be required. If you regularly fundraise with the sale of food more than 20 times per year, registration is necessary.

If you cater events at bars, restaurants, and clubs, or you sell food at markets, community events, or fairs more than once a year, you must register. The same goes for any commercial exchange or barter of food too.

How to Keep Food Safe During a Fundraiser

When food sales for the general public are not within your standard line of work, you may not know what you are required to do by law. It’s paramount to be food safe to ensure the safety of yourself, workers, and those purchasing food.

Always wash your hands when handling food, and train your staff to do the same. Refrain from helping or hiring helpers who are sick. You can also keep food safe by throwing out rubbish, keeping cooked and uncooked food separate, and by practicing “clean, cook, cover, and chill”.

Try to keep the jobs of food preparation and money handling separately. If you have to accept cash, make sure you wash your hands and put on fresh gloves. Money is one of the dirtiest things you can handle in a day, so don’t take any unnecessary risks.

What to Remember When You’re Planning Your Fundraising Event

Trying to plan and organise a fundraising event can be like trying to herd cats. You have to make sure everyone has a job and that you turn up to your event site with everything you need for safe food handling and sales.

MPI provides a helpful checklist for selling food at occasional events which will undoubtedly prove convenient for those who feel a little out of their depth. It incorporates tips such as checking with your local council about regulations you need to know and ensuring that all ingredients for meal preparation have been sourced from registered businesses. That means that you can’t use home kill meat, for example.

It also reminds you to bring appliances that will keep food hot or cold, cleaning products for utensils, food storage, and serving products such as napkins or single-serve plates.

What You Could Learn with a Food Safety Certificate

While you may not require registration under the Food Act 2014 for fundraising and community events, a food safety certificate and education wouldn’t hurt. You can then use those skills in any upcoming events that require food handling, sales, and services.

In a food safety certificate, you can learn how to maintain high standards of personal hygiene, how to clean and sanitise equipment and surfaces, and how to handle food safely. A food safety certificate also touches on the storage, preparation, and cooking of food, food allergies, food poisoning, and pest control measures.

What Next?

A food safety certificate can be an excellent option for those who want further education on food safety and handling. However, it’s not a legal requirement of fundraising events. Get in touch with your local council to find out what you need to do before you begin fundraising, and educate your team on how to keep food safe and suitable for sale.