Non-regulatory food safety management in New Zealand : motivation, effectiveness, and implications : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Food Safety Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Date
2015
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Massey University
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Abstract
Non-regulatory food safety management schemes, as a complement or alternative to
mandatory regulation, have become a prevalent component of the food safety control
system of the global food supply chain. This study focused on non-regulatory food
safety management schemes implemented by the New Zealand food manufacturing
industry, and examined the motivation for, challenges and impacts of, and the role of
third-party certification bodies in the implementation of non-regulatory food safety
management schemes. In particular, factors influencing the effectiveness of nonregulatory
food safety management schemes and the quality of third-party food safety
audits were examined.
It was found that non-regulatory food safety management is a key component of the
entire food safety management system in New Zealand. The implementation of nonregulatory
food safety management schemes was mainly driven by major customers’
requirements, a desire to improve product quality and safety, and the desire to be
recognized by the industry and the public. After the implementation of these schemes,
enterprises experienced many desirable changes such as the improvement of product
traceability, increasing food safety awareness of employees, and reduced customer
complaints. Notably, the implementation improved the food safety culture. The major
challenges encountered during the implementation of these schemes were increased
paper work, and the cost of development and implementation. The service of thirdparty
certification bodies was important for food companies to continuously improve
their food safety management.
Enterprise characteristics made a substantial difference to the propensity of food
manufacturing enterprises to implement non-regulatory schemes. These
characteristics made notable differences to the relative importance of different
incentives to implement non-regulatory schemes and the food manufacturing
enterprise’s experiences of the implementation of non-regulatory schemes.
The effectiveness of non-regulatory food safety management schemes was largely
influenced by the food safety culture in food manufacturing companies and the quality
of third-party food safety audits. A relatively robust food safety culture is in place in
the food manufacturing industry, although there are areas needing improvement and
change. The audit quality could be affected by accreditation, competition in the
certification market, competency and integrity of auditors, audit scope, audit time, and
surveillance activities of scheme owners.
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Keywords
Food safety, Food, Safety measures, Management, New Zealand, Research Subject Categories::TECHNOLOGY::Chemical engineering::Food technology