Food importers must assess and confirm safety and suitability of imported food

There are important things you must consider when assessing the safety and suitability of the food you plan to import.

You must consider the food's:

• composition (types and amount of ingredients)
• packaging and labelling
• shelf-life
• required transport and storage conditions
• intended use and who the consumer will be
• important characteristics (such as pH, moisture content or water activity) or processing treatment necessary to ensure control of food safety hazards.

By knowing this information, you can make sure the food meets the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and other New Zealand food standards.

• Some requirements you can manage once the food is in New Zealand (such as adding compliant labelling before sale).
• Some requirements you will need to sort before importing the food (such as not using prohibited ingredients).

Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

You must also consider:

• the manner and conditions under which the food is produced, processed, and handled
• the food safety hazards that could occur in the food and must be controlled before its importation
• conditions that the food could be exposed to during transport and storage
• any further processing the food will undergo after importation
• whether the food is a high or increased regulatory interest food, which requires food safety border clearance to enter New Zealand.

MPI's hazard database

Imported foods that require food safety border clearance 

Records and information you need to gather

You may need to gather records or information to help you consider these factors.

This might include, but is not limited to:

• a product specification or product information form for each product
• a process flow from the manufacturer, showing the production process and control of relevant hazards
• a certificate of conformance stating that the product meets required specifications
• evidence that the food is made under conditions that meet New Zealand standards or international standards (such as relevant Codex standards)
• a certificate of analysis, with testing results for the specific batch of product, done by a laboratory accredited to ISO 17025
• an official certificate (such as an export certificate) containing statements made by a foreign government. This might be needed for food safety border clearance.

As the registered food importer, you are responsible for the food you import. You will need to know enough about the food to decide if it is safe and suitable for import and sale in New Zealand.

Overseas suppliers and manufacturers do not need to be registered with MPI, but they do need to meet any compliance requirements of their own countries.

• Some countries require their exporters to be registered or licensed. Is your supplier registered with their country’s food regulator?
• Most countries require food manufacturers to have a registered food safety programme. Does your supplier have a registered food safety programme with their country's food regulator?
• Some food manufacturers run a voluntary food safety programme (such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)). Does your supplier run a voluntary food safety programme?
• Some food manufacturers run a third-party voluntary food safety programme (such as British Retail Consortium (BRC), Safe Quality Food (SQF) or the Woolworths Quality Assurance programme (WQA)). Does your supplier run a voluntary third-party food safety programme?

When sourcing food to import, you must consider your supplier's food safety compliance background.

• Has their food been involved in any international or New Zealand recalls?
• Has the supplier been involved in any food related criminal cases or incidents overseas or in New Zealand?

MPI Recalled food products list

To help decide whether you can trust a supplier, you might like to:

• review their procedures, quality assurance measures, and food safety systems
• review their manufacturing processes, checking that hazards are identified and controlled
• ask to see evidence of a third-party verification that shows they manufacture to recognised standards (if they run a voluntary third-party food safety programme such as GMP, HACCP, BRC, SQP or WQA)
• conduct an independent audit of their premises, processes, and food safety systems
• see evidence of a good history of sampling and testing or increased product controls (such as sampling, laboratory testing, or third-party review)
• sign a supply contract or purchase agreement that specifies the food safety measures they will follow.

You need to be confident that your supplier is producing or selling you safe food. As the registered food importer, it is your responsibility to recall or manage any food imported that is not safe or suitable.

As a result of your assessment of the food, you must confirm that:

1. The food meets relevant New Zealand domestic food standards.

2. When the food is a high regulatory interest or increased regulatory interest food, that it meets the requirements for food safety border clearance.

3. The food will be able to meet the relevant standards of the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code before sale in New Zealand.

4. The food arriving in New Zealand is accompanied by or bears information necessary for the identification and traceability of the food.

5. The food will be transported and stored en-route to New Zealand:

• under hygienic conditions
• in a manner that protects the product from contamination and deterioration
• includes the application of proper temperature control, where necessary.

You may be asked to prove what you did to assess the safety of your food imports. You must keep the information used in your assessment.

This includes:

• information you used to consider the safety and suitability of the food
• information you used to consider the ability of the supplier to supply safe and suitable food
• information showing the assessment was completed and that you confirmed the food is safe and suitable for import.

You must hold assessment information for at least 4 years and have it ready if a food safety officer or verifier wants to see it.

Find out what other information must be kept by a registered food importer