Minister congratulates Food Awards winners

“I would like to congratulate Coastal Spring Lamb and Coastal Lamb for winning the Massey University Supreme Award. They are an excellent example of an innovative and successful New Zealand company, which is now exporting to the world,” Goodhew says.

Coastal Spring Lamb and Coastal Lamb also won the NZTE Export Innovation Award, and the Chilled/Short Shelf Life Award.

“The awards celebrate the best of what the New Zealand food industry offers to New Zealand and our global customers.

“Given the importance of the food and beverage sector to the New Zealand economy, with its contribution of $29 billion a year, it is important that New Zealand continues to be seen as a trusted supplier of safe and suitable food around the world.

“These Awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of everyone involved in the business of food towards making this a reality. I congratulate all of the companies who have been recognised for excellence in their categories,” says Goodhew.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General, Martyn Dunne, presented two awards sponsored by MPI - the Primary Sector Products Award and the Food Safety Culture Award.

“This is the first year MPI has sponsored the food safety culture award and the winner of the 2016 award, Open Country Dairy, demonstrates the importance of having a business culture to ensure food safety never takes second place. This culture needs to be prevalent up and down the supply chain, for all food and Open Country Dairy has lead the way.

“The winner of the Primary Sector Products Award was Spring Sheep Milk Company. They have been rewarded for their innovation, forward thinking and creativity in developing and delivering successful new products to market,” Goodhew says.