Independent Technical Consultancy

Food Safety, Quality & Compliance

Experienced technical expertise when you need it.

Food Tech Group provides independent technical expertise, working as an extension of your business to help solve food safety, quality and compliance challenges.

Get in touch
Food labelling checklist and production line leading, with risk assessment, warehouse storage and import shipping as supporting detail
Who we work with

Whether you're manufacturing food, importing products, working with contract manufacturers or supplying ingredients, Food Tech Group provides practical technical support tailored to your business.

Food manufacturers

Helping manufacturers maintain and improve food safety and quality systems, meet regulatory requirements and resolve technical challenges.

Brand owners

Supporting businesses that outsource manufacturing by reviewing technical documentation, assessing manufacturers against food safety and quality requirements, and helping ensure product composition and labelling meet regulatory requirements.

Food importers, brokers and distributors

Assessing product compliance, reviewing supplier documentation and labelling, and helping ensure products meet New Zealand regulatory requirements.

Ingredient suppliers

Supporting businesses with technical documentation, product specifications and customer technical queries.

How we can help

Our services

Food Labelling & Regulatory Compliance

Food labels must meet specific regulatory requirements under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Errors can result in costly corrective actions, such as applying over-labels to existing stock or reprinting artwork. In more serious cases, non-compliant products may require trade or consumer-level recalls, which can be expensive and damaging to your brand.

Food Tech Group helps businesses develop, review and maintain compliant food labels and technical information, ensuring products meet regulatory requirements and customer expectations.

  • Label development and compliance reviews
  • Ingredient lists and composition checks
  • Nutrition Information Panels
  • Allergen, warning and advisory statements
  • Health and nutrition claims
  • Health Star Rating
  • Compliance checks for imported foods

Food Safety & Quality Management Systems

A robust food safety and quality management system is essential to ensure products are safe, suitable and consistently meet regulatory, customer and business requirements.

Food Tech Group can assist businesses to develop new systems and processes, or review and improve existing programmes to meet New Zealand food safety requirements and align with customer and third-party standards.

  • National Programmes, Food Control Plans and HACCP-based systems
  • GFSI-recognised standards, including BRCGS
  • Supplier and raw material management
  • Allergen management
  • Non-conformance and complaint management
  • Food fraud and food defence
  • Product testing and release requirements
  • Finished product specifications
  • Technical documentation, including Product Information Forms (PIFs)

Internal Auditing & Audit Preparation

Regular internal audits are an important way to verify that your food safety and quality systems are effective, identify opportunities for improvement and ensure your business remains prepared for customer, certification and regulatory audits.

Food Tech Group can assist with internal audits, audit preparation, gap assessments and closing out non-conformances identified during customer, certification or regulatory audits.

  • Identify potential food safety and quality risks
  • Confirm compliance with regulatory and customer requirements
  • Identify opportunities for operational improvement
  • Verify the effectiveness of staff training and awareness
  • Support a positive food safety culture
  • Prepare for customer or third-party audits

Food Import Compliance

Importing food into New Zealand comes with specific regulatory responsibilities. Food importers and distributors must ensure the products they import are safe, suitable and meet New Zealand food safety requirements.

Food Tech Group can assist importers to review product compliance, assess technical documentation and understand their obligations under the Food Act 2014 and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

  • Review of supplier documentation, product specifications and technical information
  • Ingredient, allergen, composition and labelling verification
  • Assessment of applicable New Zealand regulatory requirements and any specific product requirements
  • Identification of compliance gaps and improvement opportunities

Technical Support

Food businesses often face technical challenges that require experienced judgement, practical problem solving and an understanding of the realities of food manufacturing. Food Tech Group provides independent advice on food safety, quality and regulatory matters, helping businesses understand risks and determine practical solutions.

  • Technical problem solving and troubleshooting
  • Investigation of quality issues and customer complaints
  • Review of technical documentation and specifications
  • Regulatory interpretation and guidance
  • Support with corrective actions and improvement plans
  • Assistance responding to customer or supplier technical queries
How We Work

Getting technical or regulatory advice doesn't need to be complicated.

1

Tell us what you need help with

Send us a brief outline of your question, project or challenge. You don't need to have everything figured out before you get in touch.

2

We'll have a quick chat

This gives us a chance to hear more about what you're working on and see how we can best help you.

3

Agree the plan

Once we understand your requirements, we'll suggest how to tackle the job. Before any work begins, we'll agree on the details so we're both clear on what to expect.

4

Then we get to work

As soon as the plan is agreed, we'll get started and keep you informed as the work progresses.

Ellen Bird
About Me
Principal Consultant

Ellen Bird

BE (Hons) Food Engineering, Massey University | MNZIFST | BRCGS Lead Auditor trained

Ellen's experience spans more than 25 years across food manufacturing, ingredient supply, product development, quality and technical management roles. Having worked with multinational manufacturers including Nestlé, PepsiCo and Goodman Fielder, as well as ingredient suppliers and SME businesses, she has seen first-hand the challenges businesses face when translating food safety, quality and regulatory requirements into effective systems and processes.

Throughout her career, Ellen has been involved in the decisions that shape day-to-day food operations - balancing compliance requirements, customer expectations, production realities and commercial considerations. She understands that technical solutions must not only address compliance needs, but also be achievable and effective in practice.

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Get in Touch

Got a question and not sure where to start?

Email us directly at hello@foodtechgroup.co.nz or fill out the form and we'll be in touch.

Thank you.

We will be in touch.