Country of Origin labelling requirements start February 2022

New Country of Origin food labelling regulations come into force on 12 February 2022 (for fresh and thawed food), and on 12 May 2023 (for frozen food). These regulations require businesses to disclose where certain fresh, thawed or frozen foods come from when supplying or advertising these foods to consumers.

The Commerce Commission has published guidance and an updated set of Frequently Asked Questions on its website. 

For fruit or vegetables, the country or countries where they were grown must be provided. The Regulations are focused on retail supply, rather than wholesale supply.

The regulations apply to people who supply, offer or advertise for supply regulated food items to consumers in Aotearoa New Zealand, unless specific exceptions apply. ‘Advertised for supply’ may include, physical stores, at a farmer’s market, on a website or on a flyer. It may also include other advertising, for example on billboards, in magazines or in social media.

The new regulations are made under the Fair Trading Act and the Commerce Commission is responsible for enforcing them under the Consumer Information Standards (Origin of Food) Regulations 2021.

Please review the guidance and seek legal advice if you are unsure about the implications of the new regulations for your business. You can also read about the Commerce Commission’s enforcement criteria and investigation guidelines on its website.
 
If you have any questions, contact the Commerce Commission here.