Consumers of New Zealand Greenshell Mussels™ and Pacific Oysters can enjoy with confidence knowing that New Zealand operates one of the strictest quality assurance programmes for shellfish in the world.

Food safety is assured by testing both the shellfish and the water in which it grows for biotoxins, bacteria and heavy metals, allowing New Zealand Pacific Oysters to be enjoyed in their natural, raw state.

Water quality is rigorously and constantly monitored with testing carried out to specifications and standards set by the U.S Food and Drug Administration, European Union and NZ Food Safety Authority.

Under this stringent monitoring programme, no product can be harvested from farms without confirmation that the water and shellfish testing during the growing cycle and environmental monitoring have declared it safe.

Food safety is also a significant focal point during the planning stages of an Oyster farm.

Before any area can be used to farm New Zealand Pacific Oysters, public health officials survey the water catchment area to identify any potential pollution or other environmental effects. This assessment is accompanied by microbiological sampling of water and shellfish over a 12-month period so all seasonal influences are explored.

New Zealand also operates a weekly marine biotoxin surveillance programme around the whole coastline to monitor for the presence and effects of toxic phytoplankton.