Steps to a Simply Safe and Suitable template food control plan

Create your template FCP with our online tool

Answer some questions in our online tool to get a copy of the template, with all the sections that are relevant to your business.

Go to My Food Rules (Note that this will not have the newest Simply Safe & Suitable until a later date)

Alternative to using My Food Rules tool

If you don't want to use the tool to create your plan, you can download and complete the template as a PDF document.

Just complete the sections that are relevant to the type of food business you run.

Create your Simply Safe & Suitable template FCP (black and white, A4) [PDF, 3.2 MB]

Create your Simply Safe & Suitable Template FCP [PDF, 3.3 MB] (colour, A5)

Translations in Hindi, Khmer/Cambodian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Māori, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese are available. 

Purchase colour DL-card print copies of the Simply Safe & Suitable Template FCP

Food Safety Toolkit

The Food Safety Toolkit contains resources to help you follow your plan. It includes templates you can use to keep records, training resources, and useful materials for your kitchen. All resources in the toolkit are optional, and we will add more over time.

The Food Safety Toolkit

Registering with your council – most food businesses

You must register with your local council if your business is based in only one council area, or if you have a mobile or online business.

To register with your council, you will need to:

• contact your local council and ask for a registration form
• complete any other requirements set by the council
• complete a scope of operations form – this sets out exactly what your business does
• return all documents to your local council.

Note: Some councils don't require a scope of operations form, check their application form to see what they need.

Contact your local council – Department of Internal Affairs

Scope of operations form [PDF, 465 KB]

Registering with MPI – multi-site businesses only

If you operate from fixed places (shops or packing houses) in more than one council area, you are called a 'multi-site' business.  Multi-site businesses can choose whether to register:

• each place separately with each local council
• these all together with MPI.

Before you register with MPI, contact a verifier

If registering with MPI, you need to contact a verifier before you register, and get them to confirm that they will verify your business. 

You can find a verifier on our register (make sure they verify FCP businesses).

Check this list of verifiers to see who is able to verify your business

Next steps:

• Contact the verifier to check if they can do your verification within your timeframe and ask how much they will charge.
• It's a good idea to ask for quotes from more than one verifier.
• When you have chosen who you want, ask them for a letter to confirm they will verify you.
• Include the letter with your application to get registered.

When you have confirmed a verifier, you can complete your registration with MPI.

Help to find a verifier

If you are unable to find a verifier from the map or lists, or the price quoted seem unreasonable, email info@mpi.govt.nz

Complete your registration

To register your multi-site business with MPI you will need:

• a letter from a verifier or auditor to say that they will verify you
• a completed 'scope of operations' form – this tells us exactly what your business does
• a completed registration form
• address details for all the places where you make or sell food, including site plans for every address you operate from. If you're registering with MPI then you must be operating a food business from more than one address. Include each address on your registration form or you can use our template spreadsheet for multi-site addresses.
• a copy of the Companies Act registration certificates for any parts of your business that are limited liability companies.

Download the scope of operations form [PDF, 465 KB]

Download the MPI registration form [PDF, 340 KB]

Download the template spreadsheet for multi-site addresses [XLSX, 12 KB]

Send your completed forms and application to:

• approvals@mpi.govt.nz
• or post to:
  Food Act registrations
  Ministry for Primary Industries
  PO Box 2526
  Wellington 6140
  New Zealand.

What is verification?

Verifiers are professionals who will visit your business to check you are selling safe and suitable food. The verifier will check you are following your Food Control Plan effectively and keeping all the records you need. They will give feedback on areas that need improvement.

Almost all template FCP businesses are verified by their local council. Talk to them about verification when you contact them about registration.

When to get verified

Your first verification happens after you are registered.

If you are a new business, you must arrange for your verifier to visit within 6 weeks of becoming registered. If you are an existing business, your verifier must visit within a year of your registration.

Apply to extend your verification timeframe

In some circumstances, new businesses can apply to extend the date when their verification is due.

You can apply if:

• you haven't already started trading by the due date for verification
• something major or unplanned happens that means you or your business aren't able to be verified.

You need to email or write to your registration authority (either your council or MPI), 2 weeks before verification is due.

The verification date may be extended by up to 6 weeks. The registration authority must either grant or decline your request at least 5 working days before verification is due.

Frequency of visits

How often you are checked will depend on how successfully you are managing food safety. This could be as little as once every 18 months, if you are managing food safety well. It could be as often as every 3 months if you are not doing well. You must pay for each visit, so the better your food safety systems, the less it will cost you.

How much will verification cost?

Councils and independent verifiers set their own fees.

Check this guide to find out more about verifications and likely costs [PDF, 258 KB]

Once you have a plan in place and have registered, you must:

• follow your plan to make safe food, and keep the records required
• renew your registration with your local council or MPI every year
• contact your council or MPI if your business changes ownership or shuts down
• update your plan if you make any changes to what you do or if updates have been made to your template.