This is a type of custom Food Control Plan. It is only available by using the 'My Food Rules' tool. Find out the steps involved in getting a ‘My Food Plan’.
A full update to ‘My Food Plan’ content delivered through the ‘My Food Rules’ tool is coming soon, but if you want to make biltong you can download and add the ‘Making biltong’ card to your plan now.
'My Food Plan' outlines procedures to help food businesses make safe and suitable food and drink. The plan can be tailored to reflect the type of food and drink a business makes and enable management of any common food safety risks.
A 'My Food Plan' is one type of custom Food Control Plan. You can only create it by using the 'My Food Rules' tool. If you choose not to use 'My Food Plan', you will need to either create your own custom Food Control Plan, or register other plans individually.
Find out about types of custom Food Control Plans
Examples of business types that can use the plan are:
Make sure that 'My Food Plan' is for you.
By answering questions in our online tool (My Food Rules), you can find everything you need to know about food rules – if you need to register your business, who with (and under which legislation), and how to do it.
'My Food Rules' is based on the type of food you want to make and how you want to make it. Once you’ve been through the tool, you will be given the option to either use one of our plans that we have tailored for you or create your own.
Print it out, or save it.
You can either print it out or save it on your computer to easily find later.
You can use your computer to download the plan from the My Food Rules tool to a PDF, which you can save or print. We have instructions on how to do this depending on which browser you are using.
It will ensure you make safe and suitable food.
'My Food Plan' contains procedures for managing food safety and suitability in your food business. Each topic has 3 sections – Know, Do, and Show.
Know outlines why the topic is important to food safety and suitability.
Do outlines what you and your staff need to do to make safe and suitable food.
Show outlines the records you need to keep and what your verifier will look for when they visit your business.
Using 'My Food Plan' means agreeing to follow the limits (for example, time and temperature cooking combinations), conditions, or options in the plan. Some businesses have other ways they want to do things. This is fine as long as you can show they are safe, but you'll need to develop your own plan (or procedure) and have this evaluated.
There are multiple areas in the plan where you need to fill in the blanks or select options for how you will manage food safety. Make sure you do this before you find a verifier.
We won’t be able to complete your registration without this information.
You need to provide additional information that will become part of your registered ‘My Food Plan’ custom FCP. You can write additional information as one document, or several documents. Make sure your additional documents have version control. Note: we won’t be able to complete your registration without this information.
Provide a description of your business, what you do, and how you operate. We've written an example of a bio to help you.
We are a Chinese restaurant that prepares and serves a variety of traditional Chinese dishes and want to wholesale to other food service and retailer businesses some of the products we make for our own restaurant. These products include tofu, chilled/frozen dumplings (vegetarian and non-vegetarian), a range of fried rice dishes sold frozen and/or chilled, and cooked whole Peking duck. We also make and want to wholesale a range of traditional Chinese bakery products. We would also sell these online directly to the end consumer. We are open 7 days per week for dinner only. We would make the wholesale products in the morning when the restaurant is not open. We have 10 staff in total. Our business is located in the commercial area of a residential suburb in Wellington.
One of the cards in 'My Food Plan' is called 'Knowing your process and controls'. Review that card before putting together this additional information. The card asks you to identify and document the following:
For each product or product type/group, provide a product description. You can group similar products together, for example, ready-to-heat-and-eat meals containing meat/fish or ready-to-heat-and-eat vegan meals.
| Product name or group of products | Ham (on the bone, whole, and also sliced) |
| Intended use/instructions of use for end consumer | Ready to eat without further processing |
| Regulatory limits (including references) | Listeria: not detected in 25g with (n)5 and (c)0 |
| Salmonella: not detected in 25g with (n)5 and (c)0 | |
| Coagulase-positive staphylococci: (m)102/g (M)103/g with (n)5 and (c)1 | |
| Schedule 27 of the Food Standards Code | |
| Operator-defined limits (including references) | None |
| Allergens | None present but processed in a facility where gluten, wheat, fish is handled |
| Additives/processing aids used as per limits of the Food Standard Code | None used |
| Storage and distribution requirements | Store and distributed chilled at 5°C or below |
| Shelf life | 20 days (to be validated) |
| Packaging | Vacuum-packed. |
| Sliced ham is in 200 g packs, vacuum packed. | |
| Distribution (how and whom you sell your products) | Sold to supermarkets and hospitality businesses. Also sold directly to consumers via online sale at Christmas time |
An evaluation is an independent review of your plan.
You need to go through a desktop evaluation before you can register your ‘My Food Plan’. This is an independent review to check that your plan covers all of the products you will make, the processes you will use, and that it can work for you.
You'll need to hire an evaluator to do the job. You must include a report from your evaluator with your application for registration.
Find a recognised evaluator in our public register. In the search fields, look for "Recognition Function" and choose "Food Act Evaluation" from the dropdown list.
Send your evaluator:
These are set by each evaluator and can vary depending on your business complexity and if you have all the required documents ready or not.
Get a letter from them confirming they will verify your business.
Before sending your required documentation to MPI, you need to choose a verifier. A verifier is a food safety expert who will come and check your business once you are operating.
Your verifier must be different from your evaluator.
You can find verifiers in our public register. In the search fields, look for "Recognition Function" and choose "Food Act Verification – custom FCP" from the dropdown list.
Ask your chosen verifier to provide you with a letter confirming that they will verify your business so that you can include this in your application.
You will need to register with MPI.
Once evaluation is complete, send the following to MPI:
Email all of these to approvals@mpi.govt.nz
Or post your application documents to:
Approvals Group New Zealand Food Safety
Ministry for Primary Industries
Charles Fergusson Building
38-42 Bowen St
Pipitea Wellington
PO Box 2526, Wellington
New Zealand 6140.
Once you are registered, you can start selling food.
Start using your completed 'My Food Plan' to make safe and suitable food.
Follow good food safety practices and keep the records of what you do, as required by your plan.
Your verifier will check you're making safe food.
If you are a new business, your verifier must visit within 3 months of registering or earlier if required by MPI Approvals. MPI Approvals will notify your nominated verification agency (verifier) when your food control plan is registered.
How often you are checked will depend on how well you manage food safety. This could be as little as once every 18 months, if you are managing food safety well, or as often as every 3 months if you are not. You must pay for each visit, so the better you do, the less it will cost you.
The verifier will check you are following your plan effectively and keeping all the records you need to make safe and suitable food. They will give feedback on areas that need improvement.
Keep your plan current.
Once you have your plan in place, you must:
If you make any changes to what you do, you may need to change your plan and apply for an amendment. Examples of changes are:
If the changes are such to be considered a significant amendment, you may require another evaluation.
Contact MPI Approvals for assistance approvals@mpi.govt.nz
If you have questions about 'My Food Plan', email info@mpi.govt.nz.
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