Food Act 2014

Provisions relating to recognition, territorial authorities, administration, and enforcement - Powers and enforcement - Powers and duties of food safety officers

298: Purposes of powers in sections 296, 299 to 308, and 310 to 312

You could also call this:

"Why food safety officers have special powers to keep food safe"

When you are a food safety officer, you can use certain powers for specific reasons. You can use these powers to check if people are following the rules of the Food Act 2014. You can also use them to make sure people will follow the rules in the future.

You can use these powers to investigate if something has made food unsafe. You can check if food is safe to eat and suitable for people to consume. You can also use these powers to find out if food poses a risk to people's health.

You can exercise these powers as stated in sections 296, 299 to 308, and 310 to 312 of the Food Act 2014 for the reasons mentioned. These powers help you do your job as a food safety officer. They help keep people safe from harmful food.

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This page was last updated on 5 June 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM2996430.

Topics:

Health and wellbeing > Food and water safetyBusiness > Industry rules

297: Power to ask for assistance, or

"Food safety officers can ask for help to do their job and the person helping is protected."

299: Powers to facilitate entry, search, and seizure, or

"Food safety officers' powers to enter and search places to keep people safe"

Part 4Provisions relating to recognition, territorial authorities, administration, and enforcement
Powers and enforcement: Powers and duties of food safety officers

298Purposes of powers in sections 296, 299 to 308, and 310 to 312

A food safety officer may exercise a power in any of sections 296, 299 to 308, and 310 to 312 only for 1 or more of the following purposes:
to determine whether the applicable requirements of this Act have been, or are being, complied with:
to ensure that the applicable requirements of this Act have been, or are being, or will be complied with:
to investigate any thing that might have, or might potentially have, contaminated food or a food-related accessory:
to determine whether food is safe and suitable:
to determine whether food or a food-related accessory poses a risk to human life or public health.