On August 2, 2023, the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) announced that in order to better ensure the safety of imported food for local consumers, new rules for all New Zealand food importers have come into effect on August 1. The main changes include:

1. Defines the roles and responsibilities of food importers when importing food into New Zealand to ensure that it is safe and suitable for New Zealand consumers;

2. Food importers must carry out safety and suitability assessments before food arrives in New Zealand, ensure that food is stored and transported in a safe manner, maintain proper records and have a recall plan in place in case of problems;

3. Food importers who fail to comply with safety requirements can face fines of up to NZ $500,000 and individuals can be fined up to NZ $100,000 and jailed up to 2 years;

4. Guidance for importers is available on the Food Safety New Zealand website and food importers can contact Food Safety New Zealand if they have any doubts. According to the source, most food importers will not have to make any changes to comply with the new regulations, some will have to make minor adjustments, and a few will have to significantly improve their procedures. MPI wants all registered food importers to check the Ministry of Primary Industries website to ensure they are complying with the updated rules.