Redesign of animal products and wine regulations and notices

Regulated control schemes refresh

Work is underway to refresh 4 regulated control schemes (RCSs) under the Animal Products Act 1999 following regulatory redesign.

The RCSs being refreshed are the:

Animal Products (Regulated Control Scheme – Limited Processing Fishing Vessels) Regulations 2001
Raw Milk for Sale to Consumers Regulations 2015
Animal Products (Regulated Control Scheme – Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish) Regulations 2006
Animal Products (Regulated Control Scheme – Dairy Export Quota Products) Regulations 2008

What the RCS refresh involves

The objective is to ensure these RCSs are consistent and aligned with the Animal Products Regulations 2021. This involves:

improving accessibility
ensuring requirements are at the appropriate legislative level
removing duplication of legislative requirements.

At the same time, this work will consider how new policy to strengthen traceability and recall requirements across all food sectors may apply. An example of new requirements that may apply is conducting annual simulated recalls or providing recall information to MPI within 24 hours in the event of a recall.

Find out more about the work to strengthen traceability and recall requirements (closed consultation)

Transitional arrangements will be considered to ensure a smooth transition to the refreshed regulated control schemes. This will provide businesses time to understand the refreshed regulations and notices, and any new traceability and recall requirements that may apply.

Targeted consultation and timeframes

We expect to finish targeted consultation on the draft RCS regulations in 2025. They will likely be in the form of workshops with RCS industry working groups to review and provide feedback on draft RCS regulations. This will help ensure that they are fit-for-purpose, reflect current operating practices with no unintended policy changes.

We anticipate the finalised RCS regulations will be published in 2025, although they may come into effect at a later date as part of any transitional arrangements, and while we draft the associated notices.

How can you get involved in the refresh

We are looking for industry stakeholders to form a working group for each RCS. This is an opportunity to be involved in this work and provide input.

If you are interested in joining the working group or know others who may be interested, email food.policy@mpi.govt.nz

Minor and technical changes to animal products and wine regulations

Following the Animal Products Regulations 2021 and Wine Regulations 2021, minor and technical changes have been identified, aiming to ensure the new regulations and associated notices are working as intended. These changes are addressing errors and inconsistencies that are unintended consequences of the regulatory redesign. This is not unexpected, due to the complexity of the work.

Targeted consultation and timeframes

Targeted consultation on the proposed changes and any transitional arrangements concluded in 2024. The feedback received will inform further refining of the regulations.

Regulatory changes are expected to be finalised and published in 2025, although they may come into effect at a later date.

New animal products and wine regulations began in 2022

The new redesigned animal products regulations and wine regulations were published and came into force on 1 July 2022.

Animal Products Regulations 2021 – NZ Legislation

Wine Regulations 2021 – NZ Legislation

Regulatory Redesign of AnimalvProducts and Wine Regulations [PDF, 726 KB]

Summary of submissions received during the consultation [PDF, 677 KB]

All new notices under the regulatory redesign project came into force on 1 July 2022 in line with the new regulations.

Find out more about changes to animal products regulations and notices

Find out more about changes to wine regulations and notices

Redesigned regulations and transitional arrangements

Cabinet agreed on transitional arrangements to support a timely transition after 1 July 2022 for the newly redesigned animal products and wine regulations and related notices.

Find out more

Regulatory redesign of animal products and wine regulations: Proposed transitional arrangements (Proposal) [PDF, 138 KB]

Regulatory redesign of animal products and wine regulations: Proposed transitional arrangements (Minute of decision) [PDF, 110 KB]

Background: Aims of the regulatory redesign

The redesign of the animal products and wine regulations and notices aimed to make it easier for businesses operating under the Animal Products Act 1999 and Wine Act 2003 to find and comply with their requirements by:

consolidating and removing duplication
enhancing accessibility
making the language easier to understand.

What was changed

5 animal products regulations and one Order in Council were replaced by the Animal Products Regulations 2021.
28 existing animal products notices were replaced by 14 notices.
Wine Regulations 2006 and 2020 were replaced by the Wine Regulations 2021.
6 wine notices were replaced by 3 notices.
Stronger food traceability and recall requirements were incorporated into the new animal products and wine regulations.

Why we redesigned the rules

The 2014 government inquiry into the Whey Protein Concentrate Contamination Incident found food safety regulatory requirements were fundamentally sound, but were repetitive, complex, and inaccessible.

Subsequently, the Food Safety Law Reform Act 2018 was passed, which required MPI to complete a legislative redesign.

Food Safety Law Reform Act 2018 – NZ Legislation

That Act required MPI to redesign regulations and notices under the: