A New Zealand food company has been fined for selling recalled hummus products that may have contained salmonella.
Foodstuffs South Island was ordered to pay US$39,000 ($21,900). The company was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on one charge under the Food Act 2014 following prosecution by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority.
Vincent Arbuckle, deputy general manager, said the major recall in 2023 affected nearly 83,000 units of hummus products.
“However, Foodstuffs South Island sold 39 of the affected products to consumers. These should have been removed from shelves to minimize the risk. In this case, there was a serious failure in Foodstuffs South Island's recall system and the products subject to the recall were distributed to stores for sale to the public,” he said.
“While there have been no confirmed reports of associated illnesses, we are committed to holding food businesses accountable to ensure a smooth food recall and minimize the risk to consumers.”
In February 2023, supplier Foodstuffs South Island was notified that a batch of tahini used in hummus products tested positive for salmonella.
This led to recalls of various products, as any product made with tahini was considered potentially contaminated. It involved 82,740 units of hummus. A total of 39 tubes were sold to 34 buyers.
A statement from Foodstuffs South Island at the time said: “On March 3, the Foodstuffs South Island distribution center in Hornby received a shipment from a supplier of recalled hummus products that are subject to a food safety recall. Some of the products subject to the recall were sent to Foodstuffs South Island stores in error on March 4.”
“As soon as we became aware of the error on March 4, our staff contacted the Foodstuffs South Island stores that received the recalled product in error and the product was removed from store shelves, labeled and sent for destruction.”
Digital marking test
The comment period has opened on a proposal to test digital labeling of some imported food products.
Under the plans, approved retailers will be temporarily exempt from the requirement to display full information on the packaging of some imported food products. The goal is to see if it is possible to use digital labeling to complement physical labels. Physical labels are a key risk management tool to protect public health.
For a limited period, non-compliance of a physical label with the Food Standards Code will be supplemented by digital means. There will be no changes to what information must be provided.
Digital tagging technology includes websites, online platforms and mobile applications. It can be presented in the form of a QR code on the product or on the shelf, which can be scanned with a smartphone camera.
Nicola Willis, Minister for Economic Growth, said: “Retailers will still have to provide customers with allergen, ingredient and nutritional information, but will not have to spend money on changing product labeling to do so. Information can be made available in store and online through QR codes on shelves, digital in-store labels, websites and mobile apps.”
For food products produced and labeled overseas, the cost of re-labeling or over-labeling may be a barrier to importation.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said the trial will contribute to a better understanding of how best to regulate digital labels, from setting rules to monitoring and enforcement. Ensuring food safety will remain a top priority throughout this period.
The trial period will last one year and will include packaged food products. There are comments on the plans. open until December 19, 2025.
“Having met with many food businesses this year, I have realized that physical labeling can be a costly barrier. If we can introduce digital labeling to provide additional flexibility, we should do so,” said Andrew Hoggard, Food Safety Minister.
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