Food safety is mostly taken for granted in New Zealand with stringent tests in place to ensure the products bought by the public are safe to eat.
However, recent events have put paid to that thought and as the numbers of recalls add up, so do the concerns of shoppers.
The general term of food poisoning is applied widely and can mean someone with an upset stomach after a meal blaming food eaten. New Zealand has stringent food regulations, but it seems they are not working correctly.
High-profile products to have been recalled recently due to health concerns included frozen berries, a popular brand of shaved ham and smoked chicken which is thought to have not been cooked properly.
Warnings are issued constantly during the summer months about treating leftover food correctly, ensuring it is covered and chilled and treated responsibly. But the latest events have been beyond the control of the home cook.
The Ministry of Primary Industries was alerted to a fifth case of hepatitis A last week which is likely linked to a berry product already under recall.
The infected berries were imported from China's Shandong province, rather than being home-grown, although the implications have been dire for the Nelson company responsible for their import and sale.
The incubation period for hepatitis A means it can take 15 to 50 days to become apparent and the ministry is continuing its investigation.
A popular brand of shaved ham was also recalled last week for fears it may contain listeria. While listeriosis causes few or no symptoms in healthy adults and children, some people are at risk of severe disease from it.
Lastly, the recall of a brand of smoked chicken because it may be undercooked summed up the week.
Although there had been no reports of illness from the chicken, the security of food - particularly at this time of the year - has to be uppermost in the minds of shoppers.
Figures obtained by the Labour Party show there have been 27 recalls in the year to November, before the last three were reported.
Last year, there were 27 incidents - a huge jump from the 13 food recalls in 2013.
New Zealand is not alone. In the United States, Chipotle voluntarily closed all 43 restaurants in Washington and Oregon during an E.coli outbreak in October and November and is required to meet strict criteria for reopening.
The restaurant chain is in the throes of introducing food safety measures it says are 15 years ahead of industry norms.
New Zealand's food and beverage sector is in the middle of an exciting period of growth, growth that can be hurt by unsafe products.
A recent report indicates there are 23 emerging high value categories which now produce a total of $3 billion of exports a year and have grown at 12% a year over the past decade.
The report profiles the top 100 New Zealand food and beverage firms, which collectively generate $51 billion in revenue a year.
Much of the products are now seen as value-added, rather than being sent out in a raw form; an important change from the past.
New Zealand lives on its reputation of a clean green image from the tourist sector through to the dairy products sold overseas.
Beneath the veneer of cleanliness and green values, lies an economy dependent on exports. Damage has been done to milk powder exports in the past because of safety concerns.
Food producers, both domestic and export-oriented, must be vigilant as they prepare food for their customers.
As demand increases, there may be a temptation to cut a corner here and there. That temptation needs to be firmly put aside. The safety of food is an issue of major importance to the country's residents, reputation and economy.
