What this process covers
The requirements on this page are for poultry meat products. Poultry includes chicken, turkeys, ducks, pheasants, quail, guinea fowl, geese, partridges, pigeons, and other game birds. It excludes ratites (such as emus and ostriches), and wild birds.
Different rules apply for exporting live poultry, and eggs.
Find out about exporting live poultry
Follow these steps to export poultry meat
Export requirements vary for poultry meat products, depending on your destination market. We’ve created a step-by-step process so you can see what’s involved.
Meet New Zealand requirements for poultry meat exports
New Zealand legislation and operating requirements.
Comply with New Zealand legislation and food standards
You need to meet all relevant regulations, food standards, and notices. Legal requirements are set out in the:
- Animal Products Act 1999 – NZ Legislation
- Animal Products Regulations 2021
- Animal Product Notice: Production, Supply and Processing [PDF, 2.6 MB]
- Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Food Standards
- Food Act 2014 – NZ Legislation
Operating requirements
Your operating requirements will vary depending on:
- whether you are a primary or secondary processor
- whether your products need official assurances for export.
Primary processors
You are a primary processor if you slaughter and dress poultry. Primary processors must operate under a risk management programme (RMP), under the Animal Products Act 1999. This is regardless of whether your destination market needs an official assurance (export certificate) or not.
Find out more about primary poultry processing
Secondary processors
You are a secondary processor if you process poultry beyond slaughter and dressing. Secondary processors must operate under a risk management programme when exporting to markets that require official assurances.
Find out more about secondary poultry processing
If you export to markets that do not require official assurances, you can choose to operate under a food control plan (FCP) under the Food Act 2014, instead of an RMP.
Find out about food control plans
Operational Code
Whether you use an RMP or an FCP, you can base your procedures on the poultry processing Operational Code. This code helps poultry operators to comply with Animal Products Act and related requirements. It also provides examples of how to meet them.
If you follow the Operational Code in your RMP, you won’t need to get those parts of your RMP independently evaluated.
Operational Code part 1: Processing of poultry – overview [PDF, 99 KB]
Operational Code part 2: Processing of poultry – good operating practice [PDF, 1.8 MB]
Find out more about RMPs for poultry
Risk management programmes (RMP) for poultry food safety
Exporting organic products
If you're exporting organic poultry meat products, you need to know about the Official Organic Assurance Programme (OOAP). This programme makes it easier to export organic products to specific countries.
Check destination requirements for poultry meat exports
Overseas market access requirements and requirements for your market.
Find out the market access requirements
As an exporter, you're responsible for knowing and meeting the Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMAR) for your export destination. That's in addition to meeting domestic requirements.
OMARs differ between markets and products. They set out requirements for all operators involved with exporting your product – from farmers to transporters.
You need to apply to MPI to read animal product OMARs because they're password protected.
Search for your OMAR
When you have access, you'll be able to read the OMARs for your products.
Search for your destination market OMAR
Check all the requirements in the OMAR
Read the OMAR for your destination market thoroughly to make sure you can comply with all the requirements.
If your export destination has an OMAR you'll likely need an ‘official assurance’ (export certificate). This is the New Zealand Government's assurance that your product meets the standards set out in the OMAR. You'll need to get your official assurance before you can send your product.
You can find out more about getting an export certificate in the Official Assurance Requirements Notice.
Animal Products Notice: Official Assurance Requirements [PDF, 401 KB]
If you are exporting to a halal market
Check the OMAR for your market to see if there are halal requirements. If your market has halal requirements, you will need to engage an approved halal organisation. You may also need to get halal certification.
Find out the process you need to follow for halal products
Check FYIs and OMAR notifications
Besides the OMAR, there may be other documents that have information about your market.
'For Your Information' (FYI) documents
Guidance offered by FYIs can help you with exporting concerns or issues. You may need your OMAR password to read some FYIs.
OMAR notifications will give you the latest updates for your destination market.
Exporting to a market with no OMAR
If there is no OMAR for your export destination, work directly with your importer or in-market agent to find out about certification and any other requirements.
Note that if there is no OMAR, it could mean your product is prohibited from being sent to that market.
Find out if your premises need to be approved
Some markets require premises to be approved, or 'listed', before you can export your products.
'Listing' is a procedure agreed between governments for ensuring that:
- a country's market access requirements are met, and
- products are produced in premises approved to export to that country.
Your OMAR will tell you if your premises need to be listed, and the process to follow.
Are you using wood packaging?
If you use wood packaging (other than paper) for your export product, check if it meets the plant health requirements of the destination country. Most countries require you to treat your wood packaging to make sure it's free of pests and diseases.
Register as an animal products exporter
How to register and the list of registered exporters.
How to register
You must register using our online form.
AP1 exporter registration form
You'll need to pay a registration fee each year. If you don't register as an exporter, you can use the services of an exporter who is already registered.
Questions?
If you have questions about registering as an exporter, email approvals@mpi.govt.nz
Our list of registered exporters
When your application has been processed and approved by MPI, you will be added to our list of registered exporters. This list is available to the public.
Register of animal product exporters
If you're exporting organic poultry meat
If you want to export organic poultry meat under the Official Organic Assurance Programme (OOAP), you must be registered as both an organics exporter and an animal products exporter. You will need to have registered as an animal products exporter first.
Register for AP E-cert, if needed
About AP E-cert and how to register.
About AP E-cert
Animal Products (AP) E-cert is the system MPI uses to issue official government assurances under the Animal Products Act. We issue the official assurance as an export certificate.
At each step of the production process, operators need to add information to AP E-cert. At the end of the process, the exporter uses AP E-cert to apply for the export certificate.
You need to use AP E-cert if:
- your destination market requires an export certificate, or
- product traceability is required for export.
AP E-cert is password-protected and new exporters and operators need to apply for access.
How to register
To use AP E-cert, your company must be either:
- a registered exporter under the Animal Products Act 1999
- a business with a registered risk management programme (RMP) or regulated control scheme (RCS)
- an export-approved premises (EAP), or
- an agent acting for another company that is registered as one of the above.
You need to get company access first, then add access for individual staff members.
Apply for an export certificate, if needed
Using AP E-cert and how to request approval to get your certificate.
Using AP E-cert
If your destination market requires an export certificate, you need to apply for it through AP E-cert. We explain how to register for AP E-cert in the previous step.
Log in
When you're registered, you can log in and use the system.
Request approval of your certificate
Once your application has been raised in AP E-cert, email your nearest MPI signing office to arrange approval.
Find contact details for MPI signing offices
Getting your export certificate
When MPI is satisfied that your products comply with all requirements and standards, we issue the export certificate through AP E-cert.
Some markets may require the export certificate to be printed by MPI on security paper.
For more information, see the OMAR and the Official Assurance Requirements Notice.
Animal Products Notice: Official Assurance Requirements [PDF, 401 KB]
Training and help using AP E-cert
Guidance resources to help you understand the exporting process, certification, and how to use AP E-cert.
AP E-cert demonstration
Our walk-through demo will show you how to raise an export certificate in AP E-cert.
