Requirements for manufacturing yoghurt, ice cream, cheese, liquid milk, and raw milk products
If you manufacture certain dairy products, there are food safety requirements you must meet. These templates and guidance can help you follow the rules.
Specific dairy products
If you want to manufacture specific types of dairy products, there are requirements you must meet. The requirements and the programme you choose depend on whether:
- your products are for sale only in New Zealand or Australia, or
- you want to export them to other countries.
Find the requirements for your product
Introduction to dairy manufacturing
Yoghurt
If you want to manufacture yoghurt, the requirements depend on whether you operate under a food control plan (FCP) or a risk management programme (RMP).
Choosing the right food safety programme
If you choose to operate under an RMP, you can either:
- write your own RMP, or
- use an RMP template.
A template can be a more efficient way to make sure you meet the food safety requirements.
Yoghurt RMP template and guidance
RMP template for dairy processors: Yoghurt, domestic supply [PDF, 159 KB]
Guidance for RMP template for dairy processors: Yoghurt, domestic supply [PDF, 229 KB]
Ice cream
When preparing your RMP for manufacturing ice cream, you can use the guidelines that have been developed together with the dairy industry. These guidelines are available on the New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers Association website
You can either:
- write your own RMP, or
- use an RMP template.
A template can be a more efficient way to make sure you meet the food safety requirements.
Ice cream RMP template and guidance
RMP template for dairy processors: Ice cream, domestic supply [PDF, 168 KB]
Guidance for RMP template for dairy processors: Ice cream, domestic supply [PDF, 202 KB]
Cheese
To meet the food safety requirements, you can either:
- write your own RMP, or
- use one of the RMP templates.
Templates can be a more efficient way to make sure you meet the requirements.
Cheese RMP templates
Food safety template for cheesemakers [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Farm house cheese RMP template [PDF, 436 KB]
RMP template for dairy processors: Cheese, domestic supply [PDF, 142 KB]
Guidance to completing a cheese RMP template
Guidance for RMP template for dairy processors: Cheese, domestic supply [PDF, 219 KB]
Steps to the Food Safety Template for Cheesemakers
Guidance for specialist cheesemakers
If you manufacture specialist cheeses, you may want to join the Specialist Cheesemakers Association. The association gives additional information about manufacturing cheese and guidance for developing an RMP.
Membership application – New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association
Liquid milk
If you manufacture liquid milk products for sale in New Zealand and Australia, you can either:
- write your own RMP, or
- use an RMP template.
A template can be a more efficient way to make sure you meet the food safety requirements.
Liquid milk RMP template and guidance
RMP template for dairy processors: Liquid milk, domestic supply [PDF, 154 KB]
Guidance for RMP template for dairy processors: Liquid milk, domestic supply [PDF, 237 KB]
Raw milk products
If you manufacture products made from raw milk (such as raw milk cheeses), the extra requirements you need to meet are in the Animal Products Notice: Raw Milk Products Specifications [PDF, 304 KB]
The code of practice can help you write an RMP that will meet the requirements of the notice.
Code of practice: Additional measures for raw milk products [PDF, 175 KB]
Who to contact
If you have questions about manufacturing requirements for dairy products, email info@mpi.govt.nz