Digital labelling trial proposal in NZ for certain imported food

The New Zealand Minister for Food Safety is seeking feedback on a proposal to enable a trial of digital labelling for certain imported food sold in designated retail stores.

Under the proposal, approved retailers would temporarily be exempt from the requirement to bear all information on packaging for certain imported food under section 343 of the Food Act 2014. The aim of the trial would be to see whether it’s feasible to shape a future compliance pathway for the use of digital labelling as an adjunct to physical labels.

Why trial digital labelling?

While physical labels continue to be the primary risk management tool for protecting public health, digital labelling technology has the potential to provide trust, transparency and efficiency benefits. It can also inform and empower consumers.

For overseas manufactured and labelled food, the cost of physical re-labelling or over-labelling can in some cases be a barrier to import. For some products, this cost may still be warranted to manage public health risk. In other cases, the public health risk may be lower, and the costs may not be as warranted, particularly where digital solutions are available.

This trial will support a consideration of the proper role of digital labelling in the NZ food system. It will also support a greater understanding of how to best regulate digital labels: from setting the rules through to monitoring and enforcement. Ensuring food safety and suitability will continue to be paramount throughout the trial.

Proposed trial parameters

The trial will be enabled for:

• A limited number of operators and for a limited number of sites at a time.
• A period of one year.
• Products imported from a mature food regulatory system and labelled in English that meet the labelling requirements of that system.
• Approved food retailers that can meet trial scope and conditions.

Before the trial is commenced, a consultation phase has opened and submissions will be accepted until 19 December 2025.

For more information, visit here.

Image credit: iStock.com/Viktoria Korobova