New rules for meat sold at markets

New requirements governing the way raw red meat products are sold at market stalls are being introduced.

Southern suppliers are applauding the move, saying it will give customers added safety assurances.

From April 1, people selling raw red meat products, including lamb legs, beef steaks, pork chops and haunches of venison, will be required to have a registered food safety programme in place.

The programme requires sellers to document how the meat is transported, stored, displayed, and sold.

Gore Farmers Market chairwoman Lee Kearon said the latest requirements were likely to have little impact on southern suppliers because most were already carrying out a similar programme, and most sellers were also already heavily regulated through the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974.

"I don't think, in our case, there will be a huge impact simply because they (sellers) are doing ... what they need to be doing any way," she said.

"For our customers, any security they have knowing that the product is as well and hygienically managed as it can be, is a good thing," she said.

Southern Farmers Market secretary Steve Allan said he had yet to closely examine the requirements, but so far had not been concerned by them.

The Invercargill-based market had three suppliers selling raw red meat products, Mr Allan said.

Kapuka Pork owner Annabelle Stanley, who runs the company with her husband Linton, said the new requirements would give customers added assurances that products were safe.

She said she was also yet to study the requirements, but was also not concerned about them.

"It doesn't worry us because we want to keep track of all of that stuff any way," she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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