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Selling pet food and treats in New Zealand

In New Zealand, pet food sold on the domestic market must meet the legal requirements notified under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997. Imported pet food containing animal products needs biosecurity clearance under an import health standard issued under the Biosecurity Act 1993. Net quantity and fair trading rules also apply.

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

Product law
ACVM Act 1997
Import
Biosecurity clearance under an import health standard
Import health standards
Issued by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)
Imported pet food
Accompanied by an ACVM class determination letter
Labels and claims
Fair Trading Act 1986

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Does the pet food meet the requirements notified under the ACVM Act? Read more
  2. 2Does it contain animal products, and which import health standard applies? Read more
  3. 3Is it shelf-stable, refrigerated, or made in the European Union? Read more
  4. 4What documents must travel with the consignment? Read more
  5. 5Are the label's quantity, origin and claims accurate? Read more

The rules, by area

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

The ACVM Act

The law that pet food on the New Zealand market must meet.

  • MPI's import health standard for shelf-stable petfoods states that petfood products sold on the domestic New Zealand market must comply with legal requirements notified under the ACVM Act 1997.
  • It also states that imported petfoods must be accompanied by ACVM class determination letters to support clearance under the ACVM Act.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the ACVM class determination letter and the evidence behind it with each product. Ask about this

Biosecurity clearance for imports

What imported pet food containing animal products needs at the border.

  • Import health standards are issued under section 24A of the Biosecurity Act 1993, and each consignment of shelf-stable petfood containing animal products needs biosecurity clearance against the standard.
  • That standard covers food for animals kept as pets or specimens, such as cats, dogs, aviary birds, reptiles and rodents; food for production animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, horses and poultry cannot be imported under it.
  • Petfoods that need refrigeration before opening, and shelf-stable petfoods made in the European Union, fall under separate import health standards.
  • The importer is responsible for complying with the current version of the import health standard at the time of import.
  • Accompanying documents are in English, and original certificates are presented where required; manufacturer's declarations are dated within 12 months of arrival.
  • In the version notified to the WTO in 2023, an import permit is needed for shelf-stable petfoods containing more than 2% honey, pollen or royal jelly.
  • Customs holds alerts on tariff items that need biosecurity clearance; these carry codes beginning MAF.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the certificates and manufacturer's declarations each consignment needs, and shows which are older than 12 months before the goods leave. Ask about this

Labels, claims and fair trading

The general consumer law that applies to what a pet food label says.

  • The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading conduct about the nature, manufacturing process, characteristics, quantity, quality or origin of a product.
  • A business needs reasonable grounds for a claim at the time it makes it.
  • Importing products with inaccurate labels is listed among the practices the Act bans.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your label claims against the evidence on file and flags any claim without it. Ask about this

Net quantity

Weights and measures rules for packaged goods.

  • Packaged goods sold by weight, measure or number are marked in metric units, in a prominent position near the name, at least 2 mm high.
  • Packers, manufacturers, importers and retailers make sure packages contain the stated net quantity, excluding packaging.

How we help: Compliant Always checks the quantity statement on your artwork and keeps fill records by lot. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerMeeting the requirements notified under the ACVM Act, and the stated net quantity.Specifications, declarations and fill records kept by product and lot.
ImporterBiosecurity clearance and the documents each consignment needs.Certificates and declarations read and dated before the goods arrive.
BrandWhat the label says about the product and where it is from.Label claims checked against the evidence on file.

Questions businesses ask

Which law covers pet food in New Zealand?
Pet food sold on the New Zealand market must meet the legal requirements notified under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997, according to MPI's import health standard for shelf-stable petfoods.
Can I import pet food into New Zealand?
Pet food containing animal products needs biosecurity clearance under the import health standard that applies to it, issued under the Biosecurity Act 1993. Food without animal or plant ingredients, made only of things like minerals, is not subject to biosecurity requirements.
What documents does imported pet food need?
The documents the import health standard sets for the product and country, such as manufacturer's declarations or official certificates, in English, plus an ACVM class determination letter.
Is there one import standard for all pet food?
No. Shelf-stable petfood containing animal products has its own import health standard; petfood needing refrigeration and shelf-stable petfood made in the European Union fall under separate standards.
Who is responsible for meeting import requirements?
The importer or agent, who must comply with the current version of the import health standard at the time of import and bears the costs of documentation, storage and clearance.
Can pet food for farm animals come in under the pet food standard?
No. Products for production animals such as cattle, sheep, deer, pigs, horses and poultry must not be imported under the shelf-stable petfood import health standard.
Do pet food labels have to show net weight?
Packaged goods sold by weight, measure or number are marked with net quantity in metric units, at least 2 mm high, near the name of the goods.
Can pet food make health or quality claims?
Under the Fair Trading Act a business needs reasonable grounds for any claim when it makes it, and must not mislead about a product's characteristics, quality or origin.
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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