G/SPS/N/NZL/515
3 February 2015 
(15-0746)  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; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Food for sale in New Zealand, regulated under the Food 
Act 2014. (This includes both food produced in New Zealand including food for export - and food imported into New Zealand.) 
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: Proposals for regulations under the Food Act 2014 MPI 
Public Discussion Paper No. 2015/01.  Language(s): English  Number of pages: 132 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/sps/NZL/15_0617_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: The Food Act 2014 was passed on 6 June 2014 and must 
come into force by 1 March 2016. The Act pre scribes a high level, risk-based framework 
for promoting the safety of food for sale in New Zealand, including imported food. Regulations are necessary to provide more deta il to support implementation of the Act.  
The discussion document sets out proposals for regulations in nine key areas: 
- food control plans and national programmes (risk-based food safety management 
tools) 
- verification (of food businesses) 
- recognised agencies and persons - approvals (of documents, facilities, materials, etc.) - cost recovery 
- imported food 
- exemptions - infringement offences 
- food standards 
- transitional matters. 
The proposed regulations relating to food st andards propose changes only in respect of 
residue limits for agricultural compounds. No  changes are proposed to all other food 
standards. These will be maintained in their current form. 
The Food Act 2014 will bring New Zealand's domestic food system into line with the risk-
based approach of other New Zealand food statutes. G/SPS/N/NZL/515 
 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pe st or disease, [ ] protect territory 
from other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
Not applicable   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 1 March 2016 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 February 2016 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 1 March 2016 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 31 March 2015 
Agency or authority designated to hand le 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 Notifi cation 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