Requirements for manufacturing yoghurt, ice cream, cheese, liquid milk, and raw milk products
Find out about the requirements for manufacturing yoghurt, ice cream, cheese and liquid milk, and get access to MPI guidance.
The requirements you need to meet and the programme you choose will depend on whether your products are intended for sale only in New Zealand or Australia, or you want to export them to other markets.
Find out if you should operate under a Food Control Plan (FCP) or a risk management programme (RMP):
Yoghurt
If you want to manufacture yoghurt, there are different requirements you need to meet, depending on whether you operate under an FCP or an RMP.
You can tailor an RMP to your operation, but using a template can be an efficient way to ensure you meet all of the requirements:
- RMP template: Dairy processors – Yoghurt domestic supply [PDF, 159 KB]
-
Guidance for RMP template for Dairy processors – Yoghurt, domestic supply [PDF, 229 KB]
-
Approval for RMP template for Dairy processors – Yoghurt, domestic supply [PDF, 21 KB]
Ice cream
When preparing your RMP for manufacturing ice cream, you can use a code of practice (COP), which sets out how to meet your food safety requirements. This has been developed in co-operation with the dairy industry and is available on the Ice Cream Manufacturers Association website:
Using a template helps to ensure that your RMP covers all the necessary requirements, and can be a more efficient option than developing an RMP from scratch:
- RMP template: Dairy processors – Ice cream, domestic supply [PDF, 168 KB]
-
Guidance for RMP template for Dairy processors – Ice cream, domestic supply [PDF, 202 KB]
-
Approval for RMP template for Dairy processors – Ice cream, domestic supply [PDF, 21 KB]
Cheeses
Using a template can be an efficient way to ensure you meet your food safety requirements:
- Food Safety Template for Cheesemakers [PDF, 1.1 MB]
- RMP template: Dairy processors – Cheese, domestic supply [PDF, 142 KB]
- Guidance for RMP template for Dairy processors – Cheese, domestic supply [PDF, 219 KB]
- Approval for RMP template for Dairy processors – Cheese, domestic supply [PDF, 219 KB]
- Farm house cheese RMP template [PDF, 436 KB]
If you manufacture specialist cheeses, there's an interim COP available to members of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association. The COP provides guidance and information about developing an RMP.
Find out how to join the association:
New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association
Liquid milk
If you manufacture liquid milk products for sale in New Zealand and Australia, then you can use this template to develop your RMP:
- RMP template: Dairy processors – Liquid milk, domestic supply [PDF, 154 KB]
-
Guidance for RMP template for Dairy processors – Liquid milk, domestic supply [PDF, 237 KB]
-
Approval for RMP template for Dairy processors – Liquid milk, domestic supply [PDF, 21 KB]
Infant formula
If you manufacture infant formula products, there are extra requirements you need to meet. Find out what your operation needs: