Council to meet with food stall holders

Kapiti Coast District Council officers will shortly meet with food stall holders to discuss possible solutions to their operating problems.

“We will look again at Council policy on the handling of food, which although consistent with the Food Safety Act, has had unintended impacts on the viability of small but important community markets, particularly in Otaki, but elsewhere in the District,” said Gary Simpson, General Manager Assets and Services.

“We are aware of concern, especially from those selling food to raise money for charity, or operating in a very small way and confined to weekly farmers’ markets. The requirements of the Act may seem onerous to these operators; and the viability of these commercial markets is closely linked to the sale of locally produced food.”

Council officers had held talks with some stall holders in the past, but “clearly there is still a level of misunderstanding or misconception out there that needs to be addressed.”

As a result, Council officers will seek meetings with stall holders in the Otaki and Paraparaumu areas over the next several weeks to talk about the Act and its requirements. “There are several options we could look at that may make things easier for some of the operators.”

In addition, Council will contribute to the review of the regulations currently being undertaken by the Food Safety Authority.

“There is a widely held belief that the current regulations cast too wide a net and work against home producers of low risk products like jams, etc, by including them in regulations which seek to overview the commercial food industry.”

Council officers will report back to the Regulatory Management Committee on June 24 on their talks with stall holders.

ENDS

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