Food Act 2014

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

305: Power to interrupt operations and give certain directions

You could also call this:

"Food safety officers can stop or limit food activities and give directions to fix problems"

If you are in charge of food or something related to food, a food safety officer can tell you to stop or limit what you are doing. The officer can give you a direction to interrupt, restrict, or prohibit the use of the food or something related to it. This means you have to follow the officer's direction.

A food safety officer can also tell you to take a specific action to fix a problem. The officer will specify what action you need to take, and it must be a reasonable thing to do. You have to follow the officer's direction and take the action they specify.

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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=DLM2996435.

Topics:

Health and wellbeing > Food and water safetyBusiness > Industry rules

304: Powers to take, purchase, and sample, or

"Food safety officers can take or buy food and labels to check they are safe"

306: Powers to seize, condemn, and require disposal, or

"Food safety officers can take and get rid of unsafe food and things to keep people healthy"

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

305Power to interrupt operations and give certain directions

A food safety officer may, by a direction to the person in charge or in control of any food or any advertisement, label, process, operation, or food-related accessory, interrupt, restrict, or prohibit the use of the food, advertisement, label, process, operation, or food-related accessory.
An officer may direct the person in charge or in control of food or any advertisement, label, process, operation, or food-related accessory to take any reasonable action that the officer specifies.