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Strategic Review of Regulatory Arrangements Controlling the Importation of Foods and Food-Related Products into New Zealand

New Zealand’s approach to ensuring the safety of imported food is similar to best practice in comparable countries, and the Review Team has found no major or urgent safety risks arising from current practice. For example, the list of prescribed high risk foods that require special scrutiny before importation appears to be a reasonably thorough and cost-effective approach.

However, a lack of useful data makes it difficult for the industry and regulators to assess food safety trends and to focus their efforts on the areas of highest risk. For example, there is little information on the contribution of imported as opposed to domestic food to the proportion of foodborne illness, and until recently, testing for chemical residues excluded imported food.

New Zealand’s regulation of imported food can be improved by resolving a number of anomalies and inconsistencies. Likely results could include lower compliance costs, greater equity among types of suppliers and products, and a wider variety of generally safer food for consumers.

Final Report of the External Review Team, November 2004 [PDF 540K ]