Built in Aotearoa, for Aotearoa.
Kai Safe exists because food safety software in NZ was expensive, paper-bound, and built for someone else's regulations. We thought operators deserved better.
[Founder story placeholder — to be replaced with your own words.]
In 2025, an operator we knew failed a verifier visit. Not because their kitchen was unsafe — they ran a tight ship — but because their paper diary was in a different room, their staff couldn't remember which cooler they'd checked, and the temperature logs from three weeks ago were missing. The verifier scored them “acceptable with conditions”. They lost the 18-month inspection cycle and dropped back to monthly visits.
We looked at what was on offer. Chomp was the established choice — $80/month, decent, but no offline support and no mobile-first design. Safe Food Pro existed but reviewers complained about the UI. The rest were either Australian (and missed NZ-specific Food Act nuances) or built around HACCP for manufacturers, not the SSS template for hospitality.
We thought: this is solvable. A mobile-first app that works without internet. Server-stamped records that can't be edited. A verifier portal so good the verifier looks forward to opening it. Pricing that doesn't lock out food trucks and market stalls. AI that helps with corrective actions without ever being the gatekeeper.
Six months later, this is Kai Safe.
What we believe
- Compliance is not paperwork. It's the daily proof that a kitchen takes its customers seriously. The software should make that proof easier to capture, not harder.
- Verifiers are allies, not adversaries. Their job is to keep food safe. Ours is to give them a clear, honest record.
- NZ-specific beats globally generic. The Food Act 2014, the FCP, the MPI verifier visit — these are the actual rules. Build for them, not around them.
- Offline-first or it doesn't count. A back-of-house with intermittent wifi is the norm, not the exception. Records must capture and sync later.
- The operator owns their records. 4-year retention, export at any time, take them with you if you leave. We're a steward, not a gatekeeper.
The company
Kai Safe is a product of Sant Limited, a New Zealand company. We're based in Aotearoa and our team is small — by design. Software this specific is best built by people close to the customer.
Contact: support@kaisafe.nz