G/SPS/N/NZL/601  
 
12 September 2019  
(19-5859) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry for Primary Industries  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):   
− Raw milk products  
− Fresh cheese, curd cheese and soft cheese (pasteurised)  
− Histamine susceptible fish and fish products  
− Puffer Fish  
− Ready -to-eat smoked fish an d smoke flavoured fish (chilled)  
− Bovine meat and products containing bovine meat  
− Fermented meat products, meat paste and pate  
− Peanuts and pistachio nuts and their products (including peanut butter)  
− Tahini and crushed sesame seeds and any products containing these  
− Bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS) and products containing BMS  
− Scallop Meat  
− Ready -to-eat crustaceans - lobsters, crabs, bugs, shrimps and prawns and their 
products  
− Pepper, chilli and paprika  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Food Notice: Importing Food . Language(s):  English . 
Number of pages:  14 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/SPS/NZL/19_4837_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Food Notice for Importing Food contains information on applying 
for a food importer registration, specifications on which foods are High Regulatory Interest 
(HRI) and which are Increased Regulatory Interest (IRI), specifications on requirements 
that must be met to obtain clearance for entry into New Zealand for a HRI o r IRI food, and 
requirements for approved laboratories, including a list of current approved labs.  
Changes include:  
− Updating countries permitted to bring in HRI and IRI foods as a result of the United 
Kingdom voting to leave the European Union (Brexit);  
− Amending the BMS HRI to include the clearance requirements for scallop meat;  
− Minor amendments to information in Schedule 1 and 2, to increase clarity and fix 
formatting and errors.  G/SPS/N/NZL/601  
 
- 2 - 
 
  7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems, 
CAC/GL  47-2003 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from t he 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 27 August 2019  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 27 August 2019  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 2 September 2019  
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments : [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Comments will be taken  at any time.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Mrs Sally Jennings  
Coordinator, SPS  New Zealand  
PO Box 2526  
Wellington  
New Zealand  
Tel: +(64 4) 894 0431  
Fax: +(64 4) 894 0733  
E-mail: sps@mpi.govt.nz  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Mrs Sally Jennings  
Coordinator, SPS  New Zealand  
PO Box 2526  
Wellington  
New Zealand  
Tel: +(64 4) 894 0431  
Fax: +(64 4) 894 0733  
E-mail: sps@mpi.govt.nz