Food safety from farm to plate: Challenges for the New Zealand Dairy Industry: An essay submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of BSc(Hons) at Lincoln University

Abstract

New Zealand is the world's largest global milk processor and dairy exporter representing approximately one third of international dairy trade each year. The challenges for the dairy sector include food safety, consumer needs, product traceability, animal welfare, biosecurity and environmental stability. This essay aims to identify current risks to food safety from the farm to plate, challenges in the control of foodborne diseases, challenges in the control of infectious diseases and future research for the dairy sector with regards to food safety. The areas from farm to plate which currently pose threats to food safety are through feed, animals, agricultural chemicals, premises and equipment, milking practices and milk storage. The current increase in raw milk consumption demands an increase in legislation, regulation, monitoring, public education and awareness of food safety risks. The dairy industry currently faces issues surrounding the control of the infectious diseases: Tuberculosis, Bovine Viral Disease and Johne's Disease. Current biosecurity is not sufficient for the control of other emergent diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Future research and development needs to include: the creation of an easy to understand 'farm to plate' document on NZ food safety within the dairy sector to show the public both nationally and internationally what NZ is doing as a country to ensure food safety; improvement in reducing the risks surrounding the consumption of raw milk; the development of a practical nationwide strategy to deal with infectious disease control that has the ability to be implemented and used in practice by not only Biosecurity officials and veterinarians but also farmers; greater education and increased knowledge through all areas of the sector but especially at the farm level. Although these are emerging areas which will require improvements in order to maintain product integrity from 'farm to plate', the NZ dairy sector ensures food safety at a high international level and continues to maintain a global reputation for producing high quality dairy products.