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What is a template Food Control Plan?

A Template Food Control Plan (FCP) is a pre-evaluated plan for managing food safety and suitability. If your business activities are covered by one of the available templates, you can use this rather than creating your own custom FCP.

Use the My Food Rules tool to find out if your business needs to follow a Template FCP. You will get a customised plan at the end of the tool which will outline the requirements and the next steps that you need to follow for you and your business under the Food Act. 

My food rules

New Zealand Food Safety provides the following pre-evaluated plans: 

  1. Simply Safe & Suitable. Most food service businesses and food retailers can use the Simply Safe & Suitable template to meet requirements of the Food Act.
  2. Food Safety Template for Cheesemakers: This single plan for cheesemakers is intended to be a short, easy-to-use plan that covers all the food safety requirements for cheesemakers – from dairy farming and making cheese, through to selling cheese. Depending on which parts you use, you can register this template as either a:
    • Template FCP
    • Risk Management Programme
    • Template FCP and Risk Management Programme

Food Safety Template for Cheesemakers [PDF, 1.1 MB] 

Steps to the Food Safety Template for Cheesemakers

  1. Food Safety Template for Winemakers: This single plan for winemakers is intended to be a short, easy-to-use plan that covers all the food safety requirements for winemakers-
    • make grape wine, fruit wine, cider or mead for local or export markets and make other food (including beer or spirits) and/or have cafe or restaurant,
    • make grape wine, fruit wine, cider or mead for local or export markets and make other food (including beer or spirits) and/serve food made by others in a cellar-door tasting room or cafe,
    • make grape wine, fruit wine, cider or mead for local or export markets.

Food Safety Template for Winemakers [PDF, 1.4 MB]

  1. There are also industry-developed template FCPs created by other organisations and approved by New Zealand Food Safety. Usually these are only available to their members, so you’ll need to get in touch with the organisation if you want to use their template. Industry-developed templates are available for:

Steps to an industry-developed Template Food Control Plan

Who to contact

If you have questions about FCPs, email foodactinfo@mpi.govt.nz

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