Skip to main content

Proposed changes to the import requirements for dried spices, dairy products, bivalve molluscan shellfish products, and tahini and sesame paste products

Update – 4 May 2026

New food notice and review of submissions released

New Zealand Food Safety has issued the new Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Importers and Imported Food for Sale 2026.  

Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale 2026 (issued 1 May 2026 and effective from 1 February 2027) [PDF, 849 KB]

This Notice comes into effect on 1 February 2027. It includes the updated import requirements for: 

  • dried spices,
  • milk and dairy products, 
  • bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS) and BMS products, 
  • and tahini and sesame paste products. 

Review of submissions

We have also published the review of submissions on the proposed changes to the notice.

Review of Submissions and Changes to the Notice Food Notice Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale 2026 [PDF, 381 KB]

Consultation background

New Zealand Food Safety invited comments on the proposed changes to the Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale. This consultation mainly covered the proposed changes to the import requirements specified in the draft notice for the following high regulatory interest foods: 

  • dried spices (chilli, pepper and paprika) 
  • milk and dairy products 
  • bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS) and BMS products 
  • tahini and sesame paste products.

This consultation have been of interest to registered food businesses involved in the importation, manufacture, and retail sale of these products.  

This consultation opened on 15 December 2025 and closed at 5pm on 15 February 2026. 

Consultation documents 

Draft Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Discussion paper: Proposed changes to the Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale  [PDF, 315 KB]

Related documents 

NZL 790 SPS Notification - Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale [PDF, 146 KB]

The current food notice 

Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale 2024 (issued 17 April 2024 and effective until 31 January 2027) [PDF, 448 KB]

Summary of proposed changes

Certain imported foods that present a significant food safety risk to New Zealand consumers are categorised as High Regulatory Interest (HRI) food or Increased Regulatory Interest (IRI) food. This categorisation of imported foods allows for a targeted approach by New Zealand Food Safety to managing imported foods based on food safety risk. Imports of HRI food require border clearance for entry, whereas IRI food may require border clearance, if specified by a notice.  

The current import requirements for dried spices, dairy products, BMS and BMS products, and tahini and sesame paste products are specified in Schedule 1 of the current notice. This schedule does not provide clear and thorough information on the import conditions and clearance requirements that must be met by registered importers of these HRI foods. The proposed changes to the notice will improve the clarity and transparency of the relevant import requirements. New requirements for tahini and sesame paste were also being introduced to strengthen the import controls for these products. 

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

MPI business units