Review of the rules for homekill and recreational catch

Background information

Homekill and recreational catch have an important place in New Zealand life, especially in rural areas. They provide an important source of meat and have cultural and social value for many communities, including Māori and Pacific peoples.

The legal rules for homekill and recreational catch are set in the Animal Products Act 1999. It enables people to process livestock or hunted animals for their own consumption and use outside of the regulated food safety system. The act prohibits the trade of homekill and recreational catch and restricts who may consume the product.

For homekill, the use of a listed service provider requires the animal owners to have cared for livestock for at least 28 days before slaughter (known as the 28-day rule).

This consultation also seeks feedback on the use and consumption of recreational catch which means animals which are killed, captured, taken or harvested for personal use. We are seeking feedback on removing restrictions on the use and consumption of recreational catch.

Have your say

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is seeking feedback on the 28-day rule and the consumption of homekill and recreational catch.

In particular, we want your feedback on 3 topics.

1. The 28-day rule for homekill: should we retain, reduce, or remove the requirement for animal owners to have cared for an animal for 28 days before slaughter by a listed service provider? (Refer to chapter 2 of the discussion document).
2. Consumption rules: should we retain existing rules on who may consume homekill and recreational catch or remove restrictions, enabling broader access? (Refer to chapter 3). 
3. Labelling: should we require listed service providers to label homekill and recreational catch products to provide more information to consumers? (Refer to chapter 3).

This is an opportunity for you to have a say on the rules for homekill and recreational catch.

Consultation opened on 31 August and we are accepting submissions until 5 October 2026.

What is out of scope

We are not proposing changes to enable the trade of homekill or recreational catch, amendments to the Food Act 2014 or otherwise related legislation such as the Animal Welfare Act 1999, the Biosecurity Act 1993, the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Act 2012, or the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997.

Why we are consulting

The legal settings for homekill and recreational catch have not been reviewed for more than 20 years, even though the way we live and share food has changed. Changing social and cultural practices have led to more interest in making better use of these food sources and reducing barriers to the safe sharing of these products.

Through this consultation, we want to understand whether these rules are still fit for purpose or if changes are needed to make them clearer, fairer, and more practical.

Discussion document

Options for 28-day rule for homekill and recreational catch [PDF, 445 KB]

Making your submission

Email your feedback by 5pm on 5 October 2026 to 28dayruleconsultation@mpi.govt.nz

What to include

Make sure you tell us in your submission: 

• your name and role
• your organisation's name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
• your contact details (such as phone number, address, or email).