New Country of Origin food labelling regulations came into force on the 12th of February 2022 (for fresh and thawed food) and now extend to frozen food from May 12th 2023.
These regulations will mean that businesses must disclose where certain 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 to help unpack all the requirements demanded of businesses for compliance.
Unless specific exceptions apply, the regulations apply to people who supply, offer or advertise to supply regulated food items to consumers in New Zealand.
‘Advertised for supply’ may include physical stores, at a farmer’s market, on a website or a flyer. It may also have other advertising, for example, on billboards, magazines, or 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.
Enforcement criteria can also be read on the Commerce Commission’s website.
