The NZ FCP knowledge hub.
Plain-English guides to Food Act 2014, the Simply Safe & Suitable template, MPI verifier visits, and the records you actually need to keep. Written for operators, not auditors.
4-year record retention under the Food Act: what to keep, what to bin, and how to prove it digitally
The Food Act 2014 requires you to keep your compliance records for 4 years. What counts as 'records'? What's the verifier going to ask for in year 3? And how do you prove a record wasn't edited yesterday? A complete operator guide.
Going paperless under the Food Act 2014: what verifiers will and won't accept
Operators ask us all the time: 'Can I actually ditch the paper diary?' Yes — and the Food Act doesn't say otherwise. Here's what S39-0005 actually requires, why verifiers prefer digital when it's done right, and the four properties your digital system must have.
Corrective action templates for NZ food businesses
Every fail recorded in your FCP needs a corrective action. Here are the templates the MPI verifier wants to see — by module, with real examples — plus the §50 reportable-breach decision tree.
What an MPI verifier actually checks during your visit
Verifier visit booked? Here's what the verifier will check, what they'll ask, what they'll find — and what an 'acceptable' outcome actually depends on. Written from real visit experience, not the MPI website.
Simply Safe & Suitable (S39-0005): the complete walkthrough
MPI's template Food Control Plan, S39-0005, becomes mandatory on 30 April 2026. Here's everything that changed in the August 2025 revision — section by section, in plain English.