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Selling consumer products in New Zealand

In New Zealand, food follows the Food Act 2014 and most of the Food Standards Code shared with Australia. Cosmetics and cleaning chemicals are hazardous substances under the HSNO Act, electrical goods follow the Electricity (Safety) Regulations, and other goods must be safe under consumer law, with mandatory standards for some. No agency approves products for sale.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Food
Food Act 2014 and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
Supplements
Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985
Cosmetics and chemicals
HSNO Act 1996, Environmental Protection Authority
Electrical goods
Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, WorkSafe Energy Safety
Consumer goods
Fair Trading Act 1986 and Consumer Guarantees Act 1993
Approval before sale
No government agency approves products for sale

By product

What each kind of product has to meet in New Zealand.

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Which product class is it, and which agency's rules apply? Read more
  2. 2If it is food or drink, which parts of the Food Standards Code apply in New Zealand? Read more
  3. 3What do the label, claims and quantity statement have to show? Read more
  4. 4How does it come into New Zealand, and who checks it at the border? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Who regulates what

The agencies and laws behind each kind of product.

  • MBIE's list of product safety agencies names the Ministry for Primary Industries for food and items in contact with food, the EPA for hazardous substances including cosmetics, WorkSafe's Energy Safety for electrical and gas products, and Medsafe for medicines and medical devices.
  • Dietary supplements follow the Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985, made under the Food Act 2014, and need no pre-approval.
  • Pet food sold in New Zealand must meet requirements notified under the ACVM Act 1997.
  • Cosmetics follow the Cosmetic Products Group Standard, and cleaning chemicals with hazardous properties HSNO approvals, both set by the EPA.
  • Toys for under-3s, children's nightwear, cots, baby walkers, bicycles, lighters, ladders and sunscreen have mandatory product safety standards; some goods are banned by unsafe goods notices.
  • No government agency approves products for sale; businesses are responsible for the safety of what they supply.

How we help: Compliant Always works out which of these apply to your product and keeps the documents behind each one ready. Ask about this

Food and the shared Food Standards Code

How the trans-Tasman Code applies in New Zealand.

  • The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, developed by FSANZ, applies to food sold or imported in New Zealand, except for parts that are not incorporated into New Zealand law.
  • Parts not incorporated include the infant formula standard, Standard 2.9.1, the primary production and processing standards in Chapter 4 and the food safety standards in Chapter 3.
  • New Zealand sets its own maximum residue limits for agricultural compounds under the Food Act 2014.
  • Labels must be in English and show a supplier address in Australia or New Zealand, with allergen, ingredient, date and nutrition information as the Code sets out.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your label against the Code and the New Zealand exceptions, and shows what is missing. Ask about this

Claims, labels and quantity

The consumer law that applies to products of every kind.

  • The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading conduct about a product's nature, characteristics, quantity, quality or origin, and requires reasonable grounds for a claim when it is made.
  • Consumer information standards set labels for care, fibre content and origin of clothing and footwear, water efficiency, and the origin of some foods.
  • Pre-packaged goods sold by weight, measure or number show net quantity in metric units, at least 2 mm high, and contain at least that quantity.
  • Under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement, goods made and lawfully sold in Australia can generally be sold in New Zealand.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the claims and quantity statements on your artwork against the evidence on file. Ask about this

Import, enforcement and recalls

Border checks, who enforces, and what happens when a product is unsafe.

  • Goods that breach a product safety standard or unsafe goods notice are prohibited imports under the Customs and Excise Act 2018 and can be seized.
  • Importers of food need to be registered food importers, and imported products containing animal material need biosecurity clearance under import health standards.
  • The Commerce Commission enforces product safety and consumer information standards in the market.
  • The business leading a product safety recall notifies MBIE within 2 working days of making it public, unless another agency's legislation covers it.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the certificates and test reports a shipment needs with the product, and shows what expires before the next one leaves. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
BrandThe product sold under its name, and what its label and claims say.The rules that apply, with the paperwork behind each, in one place.
ManufacturerMaking the product to the rules, and the evidence that it was.Specifications, test reports and declarations ready for each customer's form.
ImporterProducts brought into New Zealand, and the documents the border asks for.Suppliers' documents read and dated before the goods arrive.
Retailer and online sellerSupplying safe goods with accurate descriptions.Compliance documents ready when a customer or regulator asks.

Questions businesses ask

Does New Zealand use the same food standards as Australia?
Mostly. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code applies to food sold or imported in New Zealand, but some parts are not incorporated, including the infant formula standard, the food safety standards in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4.
Who regulates dietary supplements in New Zealand?
Supplements follow the Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985, made under the Food Act 2014. Medsafe says no pre-approval is needed, but the product must not make therapeutic claims or contain medicines.
Who regulates cosmetics in New Zealand?
The Environmental Protection Authority, under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, through the Cosmetic Products Group Standard. Medsafe deals with products that cross into medicines.
Who regulates electrical products in New Zealand?
WorkSafe's Energy Safety, under the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. Radio Spectrum Management at MBIE handles EMC and radio compliance and the supplier registration behind the RCM.
Which products have mandatory safety standards in New Zealand?
Baby walkers, bicycles, children's nightwear, children's toys, cigarette and utility lighters, household cots, multipurpose ladders and sunscreen, under the Fair Trading Act.
Does a government agency approve products before sale in New Zealand?
No. MBIE says there is no government agency in New Zealand that approves products for sale. Some products, such as high-risk electrical articles, need specific approvals, and businesses are responsible for safety.
Can products sold in Australia be sold in New Zealand?
Under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement, goods made and lawfully sold in Australia can generally be sold in New Zealand. Some areas, such as infant formula, follow separate New Zealand rules.
Who enforces consumer product rules in New Zealand?
The Commerce Commission enforces the Fair Trading Act, including product safety and consumer information standards, in the market. Customs enforces them at the border.
Do I need to notify a product recall in New Zealand?
The business leading a product safety recall notifies MBIE within 2 working days of making it public, unless the recall falls under other legislation and another agency.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in New Zealand?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the Food Standards Code New Zealand shares with Australia. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in New Zealand and what your paperwork needs to show.

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No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

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