Introducing our new Food Importer Advice service 

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Food Importer Advice service, a dedicated team within the Regulatory Advice Service area of New Zealand Food Safety.

Our team is committed to helping food importers understand and comply with food safety regulations, ensuring that imported food is safe and suitable for everyone.

We do this by providing personalised support to businesses, answering your queries via our email (Foodimporteradvice@mpi.govt.nz) and our online form. We also offer a range of resources, including guidance documents, videos, and webpages, to help you navigate regulatory requirements.

To keep you informed, we will be sharing important updates through this Food Importer Newsletter, hosting webinars, and actively participating in industry and public events.

Check out our webpage for more details on our service and to access our online form.

If you previously emailed import.systems@mpi.govt.nz, please update your contacts to send your food safety importing questions to foodimporteradvice@mpi.govt.nz. 

We look forward to connecting with you soon.

The Food Importer Advice Team: Grace Powell, Kathryn McGrail, and Nicky Newman.

Help shape new guidance resources for food importers 

Food Importer Advice is developing new resources tailored for food importers, and we need your feedback to ensure they are informative, helpful, and meet your needs.

We are looking for volunteers to join our resource testing group. We are keen to hear from a range of businesses, from those new to importing to those more experienced. If you can spare some time and share your valuable experience with us, please contact us at foodimporteradvice@mpi.govt.nz to register your interest.

New videos: Food importer responsibilities

To help food importers understand their responsibilities under the Food Act 2014, we have published translated versions of two videos on the website. They are now available in English, Hindi, Chinese, and Korean.

These videos help businesses to know who needs to register as a food importer and the rules that all food importers must follow.

New food importer application form 

There is now a new food importer registration application form: NZCS 224F Apply for a client code or update your client registration as a food importer.

The new NZCS 224F was developed by the New Zealand Customs Service and MPI. It is now a separate form just for those importers importing food. The flow of the form has been improved and it is now an editable PDF, allowing for easier completion online.

New food importers are encouraged to start using the new form, although the previous form will continue to be accepted until 30 April 2025. From that point, food importer applications with the old form will not be accepted for processing and the new form will need to be provided.

If you have any questions, please contact us at approvals@mpi.govt.nz.

Update on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany 

You can find the latest updates from MPI around Foot and Mouth in Germany here:

Foot and mouth disease in Germany: advice to importers of animal products to NZ

You can contact Animal.Imports@mpi.govt.nz for any questions about imports.

The export requirements for animal product imported from Germany for further manufacturing in New Zealand may have changed. NZ exporters using imported German origin products are encouraged to liaise with their commercial agents in-market and industry bodies to clarify final market expectations. Exporters can refer to F06/25 for more information or contact tradeandinternationalrelations@mpi.govt.nz.

D-allulose permitted as a novel food

D-allulose has now been approved for use as a tabletop sweetener and as an ingredient in certain manufactured foods.  The approval is for D-allulose produced using the approved enzyme D-psicose 3-epimerase (EC 5.1.3.30) from Microbacterium foliorum.

From 29 October 2024 Samyang’s Nexweet allulose has an exclusive use permission for 15 months.

When the exclusivity period ends, other brands of D-allulose produced using the approved enzyme will be permitted for sale.

Check out Attachment A in FSANZ A1247 - Approval Report 7 August 2024 for the details regarding the foods permitted to contain D-allulose and conditions of use.

If you have any questions, please contact us at foodactinfo@mpi.govt.nz.

As a general reminder, novel foods are not permitted in food unless there is express permission in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Check out Schedule 25 and FSANZ Novel Foods for more detail.

Review of high regulatory interest foods 

Along with the work to improve the food safety of imported sesame seed and tahini-based products (discussed in the October edition of Food Importer News), a review of the clearance requirements set out in the Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale is underway for:

• Dairy: Raw milk products
• Dairy: Fresh cheese, curd cheese and soft cheese (pasteurised)
• Spices: Pepper, chilli and paprika
• Seafood: Bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS) (except scallops that are adductor muscle only), and food that contains BMS.

The review aims to improve clarity in the Notice on which products require clearance and provide more detail about how to meet clearance requirements. We do not expect that there will be significant changes from current operational practices at the border. We will let you know when the consultation period opens, giving you an opportunity to comment on any proposed changes.

Recent recalls of imported food 

Doing your safety and suitability checks before importing food is a key requirement and means you’re helping make sure food coming into NZ stays safe for everyone. However, sometimes issues still occur, so it’s important you have a recall plan in place (and practice it annually) to quickly identify, trace, and remove affected products from sale to keep your consumers safe.

There was a total of 10 recalls associated with imported food in the 4-month period from 1 October 2024 to 1 February 2025. These recalls were due to undeclared allergens (7), heavy metal contamination (2) and foreign matter contamination (1).

• Cape Herb & Spice brand Himalayan Pink Salt, Seasoned Salt, Salt & Pepper, and Sweet & Smoky BBQ
• Golmok brand Dongdaemoon Dddok Bok Ki
• Equal brand European Dark Chocolate
• Bin Inn brand Ground Fennel
• Classic Taste brand Fennel Powder
• Jongga brand Gat Kimchi (Mustard Leaf Kimchi)
• Nishin brand Seasoned Seaweed Salad
• ABC brand Sweet Soy Sauce Kecap Manis
• Huaseed brand Dried Kelp Slices
• Wako Shokai, Yamanaka Foods and Ichbiki brand Seaweed products

Sign up to receive direct notifications about recalls from New Zealand Food Safety here.

Recent Food Safety News

Read recent media releases from NZFS:

• New Zealand Sugar Company fined almost $150,000 for importing and selling sugar products contaminated with lead (31 Jan 2025)
• Auckland food business and manager fined $16,500 over multiple food safety record keeping failures (21 Jan 2025) 
• Food safety tips to keep you safe this summer (16 Dec 2024) 
• Seaweed products recalled due to elevated arsenic levels (01 Oct 2024)

You can find MPI News on the MPI website.

Contact Us

Subscribe to the Food safety insights, emerging risks, and current issues bulletin page to keep up-to-date on current food safety issues and emerging food safety risks.

If you know someone who would be interested in receiving this newsletter, please forward the subscribe here link to join the mailing list.

For food safety importing queries under the Food Act, please email us at foodimporteradvice@mpi.govt.nz   

Visit our MPI website on www.mpi.govt.nz/import/food/