Skip to main content
Last reviewed:

The process for exporting pet food

The requirements on this page are for pet food. Pet food is defined as food for cats and dogs. It includes food for regular meals, treats, and nutritional supplements. For other types of animal food, refer to the:

Export requirements vary for pet food, depending on your product's ingredients and your destination market. We’ve created a step-by-step process so you can see what’s involved.

You can also download our decision tree to check what rules apply to your product.

Pet food exporting decision tree [PDF, 235 KB]

Expand all

Other requirements

You may also have to meet other requirements, including those set by government agencies like the New Zealand Customs Service.

Export clearance procedures – New Zealand Customs Service

Storage and transport requirements

Video - Thinking of exporting pet food? (2.26)

If you’re new to exporting pet food, watch this video to find out more about MPI's rules.

 

[Animations play during the video and the narrator speaks. Upbeat music plays.]

[The title of the video comes onto screen: Thinking of Exporting Pet Food?]

Narrator: "Thinking of Exporting Pet Food?"

[The first scene shows a dog and a cat sitting next to empty food bowls. Dog and cat food packets then tip food into the bowls.]

"If you want to export pet food, you need to know which rules apply."

[A plate with pet food ingredients pops up. A globe of the world also pops up with location pointers.]

"There are different rules depending on things like the ingredients in your pet food and the market you're selling to.

[The dog and cat are seen again sitting.]

"Just to be clear, when we say 'pet food', we mean food for cats and dogs."

[A table pops up in front of the cat and dog with 3 groups of images for 'food for regular meals', 'treats', and 'nutritional supplements'. The cat peeks out from behind the table.]

"It includes:

  • food for regular meals
  • treats, and
  • nutritional supplements."

[The food disappears and numbers 1, 2, and 3 pop up with the cat swatting at them as they appear.]

"To help you work out what you need to do, we're going to ask you 3 questions.

[Question text 'Can you call it pet food?' appears.]

"Firstly, can you call it pet food?"

[The screen is split into 4 squares. The first square shows a dog with a bowl of dog food. The second square shows a plate of ingredients and a form with a manufacturing image. The third square shows a pack of dog food with a label. The fourth square shows a records book and receipts.]

"To be called pet food under New Zealand rules, your product needs to meet our requirements for things like:

  • being fit for purpose
  • ingredients and manufacturing
  • labelling
  • and record keeping."

[A scroll with ACVM on the front comes onto screen along with a plate with dog treats, supplements, and medicines.]

"The requirements we use are in the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Regulations (we call it ACVM for short)."

[Question text 'What’s in your pet food?' appears.]

"The second question is, what's in your pet food?"

[The screen is split into 3 with 3 plates that pop up. The first shows animal products, the second shows grains and vegetables, and the third shows a mixture of both.]

"Pet food can be made from:

  • animal products
  • grains and vegetables
  • or a mixture of both.

[A scroll with the letters APA appears next to the plate with animal products including chicken, salmon, red meat, and mussels. The other plates disappear from view. A cat's paw grabs the salmon from the plate.]

"If your pet food contains any animal products, the other rules you need to know about are in the Animal Products Act, or the APA for short.

[The screen is split into 4 squares. The first screen shows an exporter holding a document with 'MPI registered' on it. The second square shows 2 forms with 'Overseas Market Access Requirements' on them. The third screen shows a factory next to a form 'Risk Management Programme' and a man in a factory uniform. The fourth square shows a form named 'Export Certificate' and a form named 'Risk Management Plan'.]

"You might need to:

  • register as an animal products exporter
  • meet the Overseas Market Access Requirements, or OMARs, as we call them
  • make and handle your pet food under a Risk Management Programme or use a registered Further Pet Food Processor
  • and get an animal products export certificate. You can only get one if everyone under the supply chain has a Risk Management Programme."

[Question text 'What does your overseas market need you to do' appears.]

"Finally, the third question is, what does your overseas market need you to do?"

[A man is on the phone in an office with a window behind him, showing the Sydney Opera House.]

"Regardless of what your pet food is made of, ask your importer what your overseas market needs you to do."

[The screen split to also show an exporter in New Zealand on the phone. She raises her arm holding an ACVM statement.]

"Some overseas markets need you to show that your pet food could be sold in New Zealand, even if you only plan on exporting it."

"You need to get a statement from MPI for this."

[The video zoom to the bottom right corner, where the dog pops up holding a 'to do' list in its mouth.]

"So that gives you a quick overview of the rules you need to know to export pet food."

[The exporter appears, using a computer. She is looking at the MPI website.]

"Go to the 'Steps to exporting pet food' page on our website to find out what you need to do."

[She opens the pet food glossary and the pet food decision tree guides and scrolls through them.]

"You’ll find the pet food glossary and the pet food decision tree guides to help you.

[The video pan up to the sky, where the email address exporterhelp@mpi.govt.nz appears.]

"And if you've still got questions, or just need a bit of help or advice, contact us at exporterhelp@mpi.govt.nz."

[End of transcript]

Resources for pet food exporters

Pet food exporting glossary – some terms you'll need to know [PDF, 314 KB]

Pet food exporting decision tree – find out which rules apply to your product [PDF, 235 KB]

Export non-conformance

If your export products are stopped at the border or no longer meet export requirements, you must tell MPI. You must do this within 24 hours after the event or after you first found out about it.

Find out more about export non-conformances

Email us if you have questions

exporterhelp@mpi.govt.nz

MPI business units