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Import requirements for specific foods

In addition to meeting the requirements of Customs and Biosecurity, New Zealand importers have responsibilities under the Food Act 1981. Importers must to ensure that products imported for human consumption are safe and suitable.

Prescribed foods

Some foods present a greater risk to public health. These foods are monitored for specific hazards are termed ‘prescribed foods’.

NZFSA has specific options and clearance procedures available for importers of prescribed food. These procedures are known as Imported Food Requirements (IFR). IFRs provide administrative guidance to a Food Act Officer (FAO) as to the matters they may take into consideration when determining whether they have been satisfied by a person who imports food into New Zealand that the food complies in all respects with

a. All relevant provisions of the Food Act 1981; and

b. All relevant provisions of any regulations made pursuant to the Food Act 1981; and

c. All applicable food standards.

NZFSA Clearance option (s) for prescribed foods may include:

1. Acceptance of recognised assurances / certification

2. Clearance sampling and testing on arrival in New Zealand

3. Multiple Release Permits (MRPs)

Importers of prescribed food that is of interest to NZFSA will be referred to Central Clearing House (CCH) to apply for a ‘NZFSA Single Use Permit’. The application form should be emailed to CCH. A Single Use Permit is the final NZFSA clearance and permits full release to the domestic market. A Single Use Permit will be issued if a FAO has been satisfied by the importer that the prescribed food complies with the Food Act.

If sampling and testing (or other evidence) is required, a Conditional Release Permit will be issued to allow the prescribed food to be moved to a holding facility. The condition of the release is that the prescribed food must be held until a FAO is satisfied that the prescribed food complies with the Food Act. This may include provision of documentation, sampling and testing or inspection.

Control of product prior to final clearance, sampling and testing should be in accordance with NZFSA’s sampling and testing protocol.

NZFSA Single Use Permit Application

NZFSA Sampling and testing protocol for imported prescribed foods

Summary of changes to Imported Food Requirements for prescribed foods

List of tariff codes with NZFSA alerts

Imported food requirements for prescribed foods

Details on options for specific foods are detailed in each Imported Food Requirement below.

Meat	Hazard
Bovine meat and bovine meat products	Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) agent
Fermented meat products, meat paste and pâté	Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella sp., Campylobacter sp., coagulase producing Staphylococcus and Clostridium Perfringens
Fish	Hazard
Fish - species susceptible to production of histamine	Histamine
Fish - manufactured fish products (surimi and marinara mix)	Listeria monocytogenes
Fish – smoked (vacuum packed)	Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulinum Type E
Seafood	Hazard
Bivalve molluscan shellfish	Metal contaminants, biotoxins, pathogenic bacteria and pathogenic viruses
Crustaceans - lobsters, crabs, bugs and their products	Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella sp.
Crustaceans – shrimps and prawns	Salmonella sp., Listeria monocytogenes and other pathogens
Dairy	Hazard
Raw milk cheeses	Pathogenic organisms
Soft cheese	Listeria monocytogenes
Nuts	Hazard
Peanut butter	Salmonella sp.and Aflatoxins
Peanuts and pistachio nuts	Aflatoxins, mould and insects
Spices	Hazard
Spices – pepper, paprika and cinnamon	Salmonella sp.
Processed foods	Hazard
Desiccated coconut	Salmonella sp.
Hijiki seaweed	Inorganic arsenic
Tahini or crushed sesame seeds or any products containing these	Salmonella sp.

Archived standard management rules (SMRs)

From the 1st July 2009 NZFSA replaced SMRs with a standardised format for all Imported Food Requirements. The old versions have been archived.

Archived standard management rules (SMR)

Related links

• Import clearance procedure

• NZFSA’s sampling and testing protocol for imported prescribed foods

• Food importer standards guidance (listing and general requirements)

• Food (prescribed foods) standard 2007 [PDF 65.7 KB]

• Importing - Documents

• Importing prescribed foods from Australia

Updated 14 August 2009