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Proposed animal products notices about specified meat for export with official assurance, and official assessors

Update – 22 June 2026

Final decisions on proposed changes to the export inspection and examination notices are still under consideration.

MPI issued a new version of the Animal Products Notice: Production Supply and Processing (PSP) on 17 June 2026.

The updated PSP notice includes minor amendments made as a result of consultation feedback. In addition to these minor amendments, the PSP has also been amended to remove the Recognised Agencies and Persons requirements relating to Recognised Agencies that employ official assessors, as existing requirements under Animal Products Regulation 220 are considered sufficient until such time that final decisions have been made on the proposed draft export inspection and examination notices.

Animal Product Notice: Production, Supply and Processing [PDF, 3.1 MB]

Amendments made to the Animal Products Notice: Production, Supply and Processing [PDF, 105 KB]

Note: as previously communicated on 11 December 2025, operators do not need to comply with the presentation requirement in Table 1, Schedule 1A of the PSP (ensuring that the forequarters of ovine and caprine carcasses are free from visible contamination) until 1 October 2026, provided the operator continues to conduct presentation and post-mortem examinations of ovine and caprine animals in accordance with Option 1 or Option 2 as described in the post-mortem examination procedures in the Operational Code for Post-mortem Examinations: Red Meat Code of Practice – Chapters 6, 7, and 8 : Post-mortem examination [PDF, 811 KB]

Update – 11 December 2025

Due to the consultation period being extended, MPI issued a new version of the Animal Products Notice: Production Supply and Processing. The updated notice included amendments made as a result of the targeted consultation undertaken in July 2025.

Animal Product Notice: Production, Supply and Processing [PDF, 2.5 MB]

Note: between now and 1 October 2026, operators do not need to comply with the presentation requirement in Table 1, Schedule 1A of the PSP (ensuring that the forequarters of ovine and caprine carcasses are free from visible contamination), provided the operator continues to conduct presentation and post-mortem examinations of ovine and caprine animals in accordance with Option 1 or Option 2 as described in the post-mortem examination procedures in the Operational Code for Post-mortem Examinations: Red Meat Code of Practice – Chapters 6, 7, and 8 : Post-mortem examination [PDF, 811 KB]

Update – 5 December 2025

Closing extended 

The consultation period was extended until 5pm on 23 January 2026.

About this consultation

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) reviewed New Zealand’s inspection and examination requirements associated with exported meat from cattle (including bobby calves), sheep (including lambs and adult sheep), goats, and deer. The goal of the revision was to ensure these requirements remained effective while continuing to safeguard food safety and support market access for New Zealand meat exports. To achieve this, New Zealand Food Safety developed 2 draft notices:

  • Animal Products Notice: Specified Meat for Export with Official Assurance
  • Animal Products Notice: Official Assessors.

We sought your feedback about these 2 draft notices.

Amendments made to the Animal Products Notice: Production, Supply and Processing

In July this year, New Zealand Food Safety carried out targeted consultation with representative members of the red meat sector, Deer Industry Association NZ, NZ Pork, NZ Petfood Association and OSPRI on proposed amendments to the Animal Products Notice: Production, Supply and Processing (the PSP notice).

The proposed amendments included requirements that were uplifted from the Operational Code: Red Meat Post-mortem Examination into the PSP notice. Some of these amendments were referenced in the draft Specified Meat for Export with Official Assurance notice. 

Consultation documents

Draft Animal Products Notice: Specified Meat for Export with Official Assurance [PDF, 897 KB]

Draft Animal Products Notice: Official Assessors [PDF, 290 KB]

Discussion paper: further explanation of the key changes proposed under the 2 draft notices [PDF, 317 KB]

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