Auckland Council staff have been visiting cafes, restaurants, and convenience stores this week to provide advice and support for those affected by the flooding.
Power cuts, water shortages and flood damage have had a significant impact on some food businesses around Tāmaki Makaurau, and Auckland Council is urging businesses to check guidelines on reopening a food business after a civil emergency [PDF].
Auckland Council General Manager of Licensing and Regulatory Compliance, Mervyn Chetty acknowledges the stress some businesses will be under following the flooding and wants to ensure they have the right information to be able to reopen as quickly and safely as possible.
“This has been an extremely tough couple of years for some cafes, restaurants and food stores, who have felt the economic impacts of COVID-19 and have been hit again by the floods.
“If your food business has been impacted by the flood, there is information available to make sure food is safe and you can reopen as quickly as possible. We encourage businesses impacted to read the Ministry for Primary Industry’s guidance, or if you have questions to get in touch with us,” says Mr Chetty.
The requirements for each food businesses will depend on the individual circumstances of each premises and what has happened nearby.
Read the Ministry of Primary Industry’s guidance document and checklist [PDF]: ‘Reopening a food business after a power cut or civil emergency.’ This provides advice on what to do if a business has been without power or water and points to consider to ensure food can safely be prepared, and businesses can reopen.
If you have been impacted by the flooding and need more guidance, or to reschedule a visit, contact the council on 09 301 0101 and ask for the Environmental Health-Food Safety team.
At this time food businesses should not need to boil their water, as tap water remains safe to drink, but this may change. To stay up to date on any changes to this, or to find out more information on the water supply visit Watercare.
Further food safety guidance can be found on the Ministry for Primary Industries website.
