Importing smoked and smoke flavoured fish (ready-to-eat and chilled): a high regulatory interest food

Chilled smoked and smoke-flavoured fish must get food safety clearance

Chilled smoked and smoke flavoured fish are high regulatory interest foods, which means they require food safety clearance at the border.

This is due to the potential development and presence of Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause food poisoning.

Learn about Clostridium botulinum [PDF, 130 KB]

Learn about Listeria monocytogenes [PDF, 257 KB]

Note: Smoked products that are also histamine susceptible fish (such as tuna and herring) must also meet MPI's requirements for these products.

Check the requirements for histamine susceptible fish

Import conditions and clearance requirements

Expand all

Australia

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Clearance requirement	Testing requirement
No clearance requirement	Not applicable

Canada

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Clearance requirement	Testing requirements
Option 1: Official Certificate	Not applicable
Option 2: Sampling and testing upon arrival in New Zealand.	Salt content > 3.4% (aqueous phase basis) Aerobic plate count (APC) n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g Listeria monocytogenes n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

Clearance requirement

Testing requirements

Option 1: Official Certificate

Not applicable

Option 2: Sampling and testing upon arrival in New Zealand.

Salt content
> 3.4% (aqueous phase basis)

Aerobic plate count (APC)
n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g

Listeria monocytogenes
n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

European Union

Toggle expandable

Clearance requirement	Testing requirements
Option 1: Official Certificate	Not applicable
Option 2: Sampling and testing upon arrival in New Zealand.	Salt content > 3.4% (aqueous phase basis) Aerobic plate count (APC) n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g Listeria monocytogenes n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

Clearance requirement

Testing requirements

Option 1: Official Certificate

Not applicable

Option 2: Sampling and testing upon arrival in New Zealand.

Salt content
> 3.4% (aqueous phase basis)

Aerobic plate count (APC)
n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g

Listeria monocytogenes
n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

Thailand

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Clearance requirement	Testing requirements
Option 1: Official Certificate	Not applicable
Option 2: Sampling and testing upon arrival in New Zealand.	Salt content > 3.4% (aqueous phase basis) Aerobic Plate count (APC) n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g Listeria monocytogenes n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

Clearance requirement

Testing requirements

Option 1: Official Certificate

Not applicable

Option 2: Sampling and testing upon arrival in New Zealand.

Salt content
> 3.4% (aqueous phase basis)

Aerobic Plate count (APC)
n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g

Listeria monocytogenes
n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

United Kingdom

Toggle expandable

Clearance requirement	Testing requirements
Option 1: Official Certificate	Not applicable
Option 2: Sampling and Testing upon arrival in New Zealand	Salt content > 3.4% (aqueous phase basis) Aerobic plate count (APC) n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g Listeria monocytogenes n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

Clearance requirement

Testing requirements

Option 1: Official Certificate

Not applicable

Option 2: Sampling and Testing upon arrival in New Zealand

Salt content
> 3.4% (aqueous phase basis)

Aerobic plate count (APC)
n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g

Listeria monocytogenes
n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

UK countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Other countries not listed

Toggle expandable

Clearance requirement	Testing requirements
Sampling and testing upon arrival in New Zealand.	Salt content > 3.4% (aqueous phase basis) Aerobic plate count (APC) n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g Listeria monocytogenes n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

Clearance requirement

Testing requirements

Sampling and testing upon arrival in New Zealand.

Salt content
> 3.4% (aqueous phase basis)

Aerobic plate count (APC)
n = 5, c = 2, m = 50,000 cfu/g, M = 500,000 cfu/g

Listeria monocytogenes
n = 5, c = 0, m = Not detected in 25 g

Chilled smoked and smoke-flavoured fish must get food safety clearance

Import conditions and clearance requirements

Australia

Canada

European Union

Thailand

United Kingdom

Other countries not listed

MPI business units