Produco Ltd - Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance Specialists

16/09/2025

Tahini RECALL

Durra brand is recalling a specific batch of its tahini due to the possible presence of Salmonella.

The product has been imported from Jordan. It has been removed from store shelves.

The product is sold at a few ethnic specialty stores throughout New Zealand.
Best Before: 06/04/2027
Batch / Lot. Number: 78

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/news/media-releases/durra-brand-tahina-recalled-due-to-possible-salmonella/

09/09/2025

Setting up a Micro Abattoir? 🥩
Over the past 3 years, we have assisted a number of companies to develop the documentation needed to support the MPI provided templates.

This enables people to operate fixed and mobile micro abattoirs.

From conversations about talking through what’s required and how to get started - through to a GAP assessment of current systems - to full development of supporting documents to meet compliance to operate.

In one instance processes and documents were created to add wild game to an existing template based manual.

Working with the Operator, we are able to:
✅ Identify gaps in knowledge
✅ Clarify regulated procedures and requirements
✅ Provide support documents to the template that were easy to understand and use

Understanding that the template forms the backbone of the operating manual is important to enable the template to be an integral part of meeting the regulatory requirements.

If you are looking to explore creating your own Micro Abattoir, talk to us at Produco

https://produco.co.nz/micro-abattoir/

04/09/2025

🎥 Snapshot from our Pathogens and Environmental Monitoring event this morning.

Gavin Kouwenhoven our Operations Manager & Consultant taking people through the need to meet regulatory requirements and your customers' requirements - which often now include global regulatory standards such as SQF, BRCGS and FSSC22000

Great turnout for our session, thank you to everyone who came along!

04/09/2025

Always an exceptionally well organised and represented event at FoodTech PackTech.
Colin Oliver was snapped chatting to OneLab during his visit.

It's a great event to showcase some of the cutting-edge new developments and technologies for industry 👏🏽

31/08/2025

📢 Calling all Food Industry Professionals
Join us for our Pathogens & Environmental Monitoring event!

Date: Thurs 4th September
Time: 9:30 - 11:30am
Venue: Ruakura Conference centre at Waikato Innovation Park

The Produco team along with ALS Global look forward to connecting with you and sharing their insights into testing and parameters you should be looking into.

https://events.humanitix.com/food-safety-seminar-pathogens-hamilton

We look forward to connecting with you!

Colin and the Produco team

30/08/2025

Building a strong Food Safety Culture: Starts with People

Food safety isn’t a checklist or a compliance requirement — it’s a mindset.
And a strong food safety culture is about empowering every team member, from leadership to the production floor, so they understand their role in protecting consumers and keeping brand trust.

🔍 Key elements of a thriving food safety culture:
✅ Leadership Commitment: Leaders set the tone. When food safety is prioritised in decision-making, teams follow suit
✅ Clear Communication: Training, open discussions, and feedback channels ensure everyone knows why food safety matters
✅ Accountability: Each individual understands their role and takes ownership of food safety practices
✅ Continuous Improvement: Audits, feedback, and data drive smarter, safer processes
✅ Recognition & Engagement: Celebrating safe behaviours reinforces positive change

At the heart of it all, food safety is about protecting people.

Consumers trust us every day — and building a safety-first culture is how we earn and keep that trust.

💡 How do you promote food safety culture in your workplace?

28/08/2025

UPCOMING EVENT: Food Safety seminar: Pathogens & Environmental Monitoring | Hamilton

For Food Safety, Quality and Operational industry professionals looking to upskill and improve their Pathogen Management and Environmental Monitoring practices.

We've teamed up with ALS Global, in this 2hour session to deliver you expert knowledge, scientific insights, and time saving solutions to help food businesses stay ahead in quality and compliance.

This session is for companies of all sizes looking to up-skill their staff, meet your Pre Requisite Programmes within RMPs, and ensure effective testing measures are being taken to reduce risk in your food business.

Tickets and details here:
https://events.humanitix.com/food-safety-seminar-pathogens-hamilton

27/07/2025

🎟️ Get your tickets !

Secure your spot for our upcoming Pathogens & Environmental Monitoring event in Christchurch, in 2 weeks time.

Date: Friday 8th August
Location: Mätt Solutions, Wigram, Christchurch

🔑 For tickets and event details:
https://events.humanitix.com/food-safety-seminar-pathogens-enviro-monitoring

We're looking forward to delivering this in the South Island, alongside Lucia Olmos, Microbiology Product Specialist at Thermo Fisher Scientific .

18/07/2025

Is Processed Food always less Nutritious?

🥫 Processing food can support diet quality and convenience without compromising nutrition

💭Making smart choices around the types of processed food you buy, means you don't have to compromise nutrition or flavour with getting the right health benefits.

To find out how, check out this short video in association with the Australia Food & Grocery Council & Cook with Kelsy...

Not in the lunchboxes makes for her three hungry boys!The cookbook author and busy mom shows us how she prepares her three boys nutritious and quick to...

17/07/2025

🧃🥫 Is all processed food bad for you?
Check out this short clip released by the Australian Food & Grocery Association, in collaboration with to unpack some common misconceptions around which foods are deemed 'healthy' and 'unhealthy'.

💳 It's a short, helpful watch, particularly for busy families and those trying to keep to tight budgets.

🍽️ The series covers facts about food processing:
- What it is
- Nutrition
- Why it matters &
- How it contributes to safe, nutritious and sustainable food supply

With so much information out there, it’s easy to think so.Looking at many headlines you wouldn’t be alone in thinking so.AFGC, in collaboration with Cook Wit...

16/07/2025

🫒 Olive Oil Food Fraud on the Rise

Smaller harvest quantities are raising the price of olive oil, globally

With decreased supply, but not demand, this opens the door to opportunists to try to take advantage illegally by adulterating, or diluting the product for economic gain

Organic olive oil is more highly sought after, creating higher frequencies of fraudulent activity for the premium product that people are willing to pay more for too.

Small businesses can protect themselves through a few checks:
🎯 Using “expert tasters”
🎯 Standard lab analysis
🎯 GPS trackers and
🎯 Tamper-proof seals - until they can afford the required technology

Olive oil is now at the center of a global fraud crisis as climate change shrinks harvests and elevates prices, leading to increased incentive for criminal deception. From counterfeit labels to oils diluted with cheaper vegetable fats, fraudsters exploit regulatory gaps and consumer trust, while aut...

15/07/2025

🗣️ Christchurch - Food safety seminar heading to you!

Excited to announce we are holding our next Food Safety industry event on Friday 8th August.

🔬 We'll be exploring what's topical in the field of Pathogen Management and Environmental Monitoring covering the Food, Beverage, Dairy, Meat and Seafood sectors.

In collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific , we'll be delivering you an engaging and informative session.

Taking place at Mätt Solutions Ltd premises in Wigram, Christchurch

Stay tuned to get your hands on tickets soon!