It is widely acknowledged that the existing regulatory arrangements for dietary supplements in New Zealand under the Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985 (the Regulations) do not provide adequate coverage for the range of such products currently available.

This policy statement signals high level policy expectations for the production, manufacture and sale of novel foods cultured from animal cells. It sits alongside the New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) regulatory statement for any business proposing to import, manufacture or sell an animal cell-cultured food product for human consumption in the New Zealand market under New Zealand food legislation.

When undertaking cost recovery the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) will base its decisions on Government guidelines and high level principles as set out in the Treasury-produced ‘Guidelines for Setting Charges in the Public Sector’ and the Audit Office’s ‘Guidelines on Costing and Charging for Public Sector Goods and Services’. NZFSA takes into account constitutional principles as set out in Parliament’s Standing Orders and guidance received from reports of the Regulations Review Committee.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (MPI) generally does not regulate non-commercial food. This means that non-commercial food and related activities are generally not subject to legal requirements for food safety. ‘Non commercial' food is food not intended for sale. Non-commercial food activities include wild food gathering, hunting, and recreational catch; and home vegetable gardening, fruit cultivation, rearing domestic animals for food, homekill slaughter, and home cooking.

Organic food is treated in the same way as all other foods by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

This paper provides an introduction to organic food in New Zealand and a background to NZFSA’s policy position on organic food.