Importing organics

All food and food-related products that are imported for sale as 'organic' must meet New Zealand standards and requirements for the type of food, and also meet New Zealand requirements for labelling. MPI's role is to help make sure imported food products are correctly sourced and labelled, safe to eat, and free from pests and harmful organisms.

In this section

I tēnei wāhanga

Steps to importing

Requirement documents

Forms and templates

Legal obligations

'Food' includes ingredients and anything to be mixed or added to food. No food can be sold if it is unsafe, unfit for human consumption, or contaminated. Food importers have legal obligations under:

the Biosecurity Act 1993
the Food Act 2014
the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
other New Zealand Food Standards, including the Prescribed Foods Standard
any other legislation made under the Food Act.

Use of the term ‘organic’ is managed by the Commerce Commission under the Fair Trading Act 1986. Food for sale in New Zealand labelled as ‘organic’ must meet the obligations under the Act.

Who to contact

If you have questions about importing organic products, email info@mpi.govt.nz.