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Food Importer Standards Guidance

Storage and transport requirements

What does the Standard require?

All importers of food for sale must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the food has been appropriately stored and handled during shipping and import clearance. Food must be maintained as safe, having taken account of the type of food concerned and any applicable storage instructions. Food must be prevented from deteriorating and must be protected from contamination.

Imported food must be stored and handled in a manner which ensures it is within a safe temperature range for the storage of food. Food that is subject to temperature control must be transported in a manner that ensures the required temperatures are achieved and maintained throughout transportation.

Storage facilities and any equipment used for handling imported food must be suitable for that purpose. Bulk cargo containers and loading equipment must be suitable and operated to ensure the food is safe. Food that is transported together with any other food, chemical or substance that may be a source of contamination must be protected from the potential source of contamination. Bulk cargo containers used to transport unpackaged food in bulk must be thoroughly cleaned where the previous shipment contained any other food, chemical, or substance that may be a source of contamination.

Why is this required?

It’s important to protect imported food from contamination and deterioration during all stages of the food chain, including storage before and during transportation to New Zealand.

The import storage and transport requirements do not duplicate requirements in the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 or other applicable legislation that applies to people who are responsible for the food after it has been cleared by Customs.

How can this be achieved?

Importers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the safety and suitability of their food products is maintained in storage prior to and during transportation to New Zealand. Reasonable steps may include, but are not limited to:

• Obtaining documented terms and conditions of business from the storage company or facility, transport company or freight forwarder. This could include:

• written acknowledgement or indication that the company operates either a documented programme of food safety procedures for storage and transportation of food or complies with international standards.

• details of any safety assurance programmes that are in place or food safety specific guarantees such that in the event of refrigeration failure that the importer will be notified.

• Requesting that products are separated during storage and transport to protect against contamination. For example:

• appropriate packaging

• policy for separate storage / transportation of certain foods such as ready-to-eat (RTE) and raw products

• separate storage / transportation for food and non food items (eg, chemicals) where these are potentially a source of contamination.

• Using storage facilities and bulk cargo containers that are capable of maintaining food within the required temperature range. Temperatures of foods should be consistent through storage and transport so that chilled products remain chilled and frozen products remain frozen. Temperatures could be monitored and recorded in a number of ways, for example:

• using continuous data loggers

• indicator or integrator device

• by manually recording temperatures at regular intervals, or

• using calibrated temperature monitoring equipment and maintaining records of temperatures and alarms.

• Requesting documented assurances that bulk cargo containers are clean and fit for purpose prior to use.

• Inspecting bulk cargo containers upon receipt of products and documenting actions taken if the bulk cargo containers are not clean or if products are contaminated or have deteriorated.

• Requesting documented evidence that storage facilities, transportation equipment and facilities are fit for purpose prior to use.