Notifications for New Zealand (373 notifications)

The proposed changes aim to manage the biosecurity risks associated with:Columnea latent viroid (CLVd); Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd); Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd); and Tomato planta macho viroid (TPMVd). >The proposed measures to manage these pospiviroids are: a) "Pest Free Area" declaration, or b) "Pest Free Place of Production" declaration, orc) onshore or offshore seed testing/plant testing during Post Entry Quarantine

The import health standard describes import specifications and entry conditions for nursery stock/plants for planting imported into New Zealand

Proposed amendment include: All pelleted seed lots must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and an ISTA or AOSA seed analysis certificate. Beta vulgaris and vegetable species imported as pelleted seed are required to be tested for the presence of a quarantine weed or contaminants on a 'bare' seed sample or pelleted seed sample on arrival at the New Zealand border. Pelleted Lactuca sativa seed lots are required to be tested at the ratio of 1 in 10 lots for the presence of a quarantine weed or contaminants on a pelleted seed sample on arrival at the New Zealand border.

The document contains technical details on proposals to amend the current Notice issued under the Food Act 2014 that lists the maximum residue levels (MRLs) and exemptions from compliance with a MRL for agricultural compounds in New Zealand.MPI proposes the following amendments to the Notice: The addition of exemption from compliance with a MRL for the following compounds: Glycerol (glycerine), when used topically as a skin conditioner or as an active ingredient in a teat sanitiser in Schedule 3 (veterinary medicines) of the Notice. >Sorbitol, when used topically as a skin conditioner or as an active ingredient in a teat sanitiser in Schedule 3 (veterinary medicines) of the Notice.

Import Health Standard Fresh Orange (Citrus sinensis) from Egypt for human consumption lists the requirements to import fresh oranges from Egypt into New Zealand.  The IHS lists the pests associated with this pathway and the measures which will manage these pests.

Adoption of IHS

Update and amendment to the import health standard for pork from Australia

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has drafted the Import Health Standard for Zoo Crocodilia and Zoo Crocodilian Hatching eggs.The standard allows for all species of crocodiles holding a containment approval by the Environmental Protection Authority to be imported from Australia, the European Union (EU), Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Thailand.Further information can be found in the Risk Management Proposal.

To protect human safety and health, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved – as an interim emergency measure – an amendment to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to prohibit the retail sale of foods in which total caffeine is present in a concentration of 5% or more (if the food is a solid or semi-solid food) or 1% or more (if the food is a liquid food). This decision followed a recent death in Australia caused by ingestion of pure or highly concentrated caffeine powder. The decision is based on a risk assessment that confirmed that pure and highly concentrated caffeine food products sold at retail directly to consumers pose an immediate and acute health and safety risk. The ingestion of small amounts of pure and highly concentrated caffeinated substances can result in death or severe health effects. This interim measure comes into force in December 2019. FSANZ will review this interim emergency measure and decide within 12 months whether to affirm, amend or repeal the measure, taking into account comments by WTO members received as a result of this notification. New Zealand is notifying this interim measure under both TBT and SPS Agreements as caffeine cannot be considered to be an additive for the purposes of the SPS Agreement in relation to all food stuffs – such as pure caffeine products in which it is the primary ingredient. The latter would be covered the TBT Agreement (and not the SPS Agreement).

The document contains technical details on proposals to amend the current Notice issued under the Food Act 2014 that lists the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for agricultural compounds in New Zealand.MPI proposes the following amendments to the Notice: The addition of new MRL entries for the following compounds: Fenpicoxamid: 0.01(*) mg/kg in eggs, 0.01(*) mg/kg in mammalian fat, 0.02 mg/kg in mammalian kidney, 0.02 mg/kg in mammalian liver, 0.01(*) mg/kg in mammalian meat, 0.01(*) mg/kg in milk, 0.01(*) mg/kg in poultry meat, 0.01(*) mg/kg in poultry offal, and 0.3 mg/kg in wheat grain. Indaziflam: 0.02(*) mg/kg in grapes, 0.02(*) mg/kg in pome fruits, and 0.02(*) mg/kg in stone fruits. Pyriofenone: 0.2 mg/kg in fruiting vegetables (cucurbits). > The amendment of existing MRL entries for the following compounds and commodities: Fludioxonil: 10 mg/kg in kumara. Flumioxazin: 0.01(*) mg/kg in bush berries, and 0.05(*) mg/kg in hops. Fluopyram: 0.2 mg/kg in parsnips. Fluralaner: amendment of the chicken eggs MRL from 1 mg/kg to 1.3 mg/kg. Lambda-cyhalothrin: 0.2 mg/kg in brassica vegetables (transfer of the MRL currently promulgated under the ‘cyhalothrin' entry). Oxyfluorfen: 0.01(*) mg/kg in potatoes. Prothioconazole: 0.01(*) mg/kg in mammalian fat, 0.01(*) mg/kg in mammalian meat, 0.02 mg/kg in mammalian offal, and 0.004(*) mg/kg in milk. The removal of existing MRL entries for the following compounds and commodities: Cyhalothrin, after transfer of the current 0.2 mg/kg MRL in ‘brassica vegetables' to the entry for lambda-cyhalothrin. Lindane, removing the 2mg/kg MRL in ‘fats (except milk fats)'. >Note: (*) indicates that the maximum residue level has been set at or about the limit of analytical quantification. The addition of an exemption from compliance with a MRL for the following compounds:Vitamins, minerals, and essential trace elements, when used for dietary supplementation in food-producing animals, in Schedule 3 (veterinary medicines) of the Notice.

The IHS for Shelf-stable Pet foods Containing Animal Products (PETFODIC.ALL) has been amended, proposing pet food containing porcine ingredients is required to be retorted and officially certified as such.

The IHS for Specified Animal Products (SPECPROD.ALL) has been drafted as one single IHS to manage risk associated with the importation of a number of animal products. Background information can be found in the Risk Management Proposal (RMP).

The import health standard describes import specifications and entry conditions for plants for planting imported into New Zealand.

An amendment of the IHS: Wood Packaging Material from All Countries, to align with ISPM 15: Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (ISPM 15).

The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, with the agreement of USDA, has amended the above Citrus schedules to include an additional general requirement for USA grown: Citrus limon, Lemon; Citrus paradisi, Citrus paradisi x C. maxima, Grapefruit; Citrus reticulata, Mandarin/Tangerine; Citrus sinensis, Orange; Citrus paradisi x C. reticulata, Tangelo; Citrus maxima, Pomelo.

The IHS specifies the minimum requirements that must be met when importing biological products into New Zealand, where those biological products are defined as a non-viable product derived from a living organism other than from a human being, and includes a sample of animal origin. The IHS is predominantly for importing biological products for laboratory use.

MPI has issued an amendment to the Import Health Standard: Grain and seeds for consumption, feed or processing. The import health standard dated 25 October 2019 replaces the earlier version of the standard dated 25 January 2019. The following changes have been applied: The import health standard contents were moved from the 2003 format into the current MPI standard format "Requirements and Guidance". Some contents have been placed in a different order due to the different "Parts" in this new format. The import requirements and the guidance information have been clearly separated throughout the import health standard. The regulated pest lists have been amended and pests listed below removed because they are listed as non-regulated in the biosecurity organisms register for imported commodities (BORIC): Alphitobius laevigatus Mezium americanum Ptinus clavipes Ptinus fur Sporisorium destruens Clover yellow mosaic virusCochliobolus geniculatus Cochliobolus nodulosus (anamorph Bipolaris nodulosa) Fusarium chlamydosporum Red clover vein mosaic virusLepinotus reticulatus Liposcelis bostrychophila Liposcelis paetusPeanut stunt cucumovirus The schedule for Papaver somniferum (poppy seeds) has been removed because this commodity does not have any biosecurity requirements. The country restriction has been removed for importation of the following seeds for processing at New Zealand's transitional facility: Glycine max (Soybean Seeds) Gossypium (Cotton Seeds) Lupinus (Lupin Seeds) The "laboratory testing result for regulated pests" has been included throughout the IHS for testing against regulated fungal and bacterial pathogens for grain and seeds imported under options 3 and 4 (importation of grain and seeds for processing at New Zealand transitional facilities and importation of grain and seeds for clearance on arrival). Wording for the phytosanitary certificate statement has been amended to align with ISPM 12: Phytosanitary Certificates. Errors and ambiguities have been fixed throughout the import health standard.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has amended the Import Health Standard for Primates from Australia, Canada, the European Union, USA and Singapore. The amended standard allows for all species (with the exception macaques) of primates holding a containment approval by the Environmental Protection Authority to be imported.

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 or 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.

The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries is suspending the above Import Health Standard and Import Health Standard 152.02 Schedule for Oranges from Spain. This suspension will be in place pending a review of phytosanitary measures for Ceratitis capitata.