Comply with New Zealand legislation and food standards
You need to meet all relevant food standards and regulations. Legal requirements are set out in the:
- Animal Products Act 1999
- Food Act 2014
- Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
- dairy regulations and standards.
Links to legislation, standards, and regulations
Operate under a risk management programme or regulated control scheme
To export dairy products (other than to Australia), they must be produced and processed under a registered and verified risk management programme (RMP).
Other suppliers in your export chain – for example, storage facilities and other manufacturers – also need to operate under an RMP. RMPs help you identify and manage hazards and ensure that your product is fit for purpose and meets legal requirements.
Those transporting dairy products will need to operate under an RMP or regulated control scheme (RCS). If at any point the dairy products are harvested on farm, processed, transported, or stored outside of an approved RMP, or RCS if an RCS applies, you can’t get an official assurance and your products will lose their eligibility for export.
Develop and register your RMP
Find out how to develop an RMP
Options for transport operators
Transport operators must operate under either:
- an RCS or an RMP (for export with an official assurance)
- a Food Act risk-based measure (for export without an official assurance).
Options for transport operators
Verify your RMP
After developing and registering your programme, you must get it verified regularly by an MPI-recognised verification agency.
Animal products recognised agencies, including dairy
When exporting products made by others
You don't need an RMP if you are exporting products made by someone else that you will not handle. You do need to make sure they are manufactured and stored under an RMP, and transported under either an RMP or an RCS.
Exporting only to Australia?
Dairy products for Australia can be manufactured under a food control plan or an RMP.
Exporters to Australia also need to:
- meet the Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARs) for Australia
- check to see if there are any general export requirements that need to be met for their product.
Complete documents to ensure product traceability
When products destined for export leave the manufacturing site an eligibility declaration/document must be raised in E-cert. Your verifier or the dairy certification unit can help with these.
If you have any questions about product traceability, email either:
Managing contaminants and residues
In most cases, you need to provide information for an official assurance to show how you know your products don't have contaminants and residues.
Monitoring programmes and testing of dairy products
Check if you need official devices
Dairy products must be packed and labelled to ensure they're secure and that the contents can be traced to the official assurances (export certificates) that apply to them.
Security devices help to protect the integrity of the products and have to be approved by MPI. Operator seals that meet the same standards as official MPI security seals can be used to seal containers of dairy products.
Official devices and legal requirements
Legislation and standards
Animal Products Act 1999 – NZ Legislation
Food Act 2014 – NZ Legislation
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Food Standards
Browse dairy regulations and standards
