MPI carries out a range of food monitoring programmes across and within food sectors. The dairy independent verification programme (IVP) is specifically for dairy production.

The dairy industry undertakes a huge amount of testing each year to ensure its products are safe and fit for purpose. The IVP carries out similar, but independent, tests to validate industry test results.

How the IVP works

Under the IVP, MPI collects dairy products from across the country. The samples are tested by independent laboratories to check that they conform to acceptable microbiological levels for New Zealand, as well as those set by importing countries.

The IVP enables MPI to assess whether New Zealand dairy manufacturers' quality programmes are sound and whether the self-monitoring programmes for sampling and testing dairy material and products are reliable and sufficiently robust.

From this assessment, MPI can establish whether the regulatory framework is effective and continues to ensure that dairy products manufactured in New Zealand meet food safety outcomes.