Australia and New Zealand have joint food standards and recognise each other’s food safety standards and import control systems. This allows food to be imported between the countries without border inspection.
Under the Imported Food Control Act 1992, food imported from New Zealand is exempted, except for some food classified as risk food. This exemption recognises the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement (TTMRA). In 1996, the governments of Australia and New Zealand agreed that goods that can be legally sold in one country can be legally sold in the other country.
Food imported from New Zealand must still meet our biosecurity import conditions. Check our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) for biosecurity import conditions and imported food safety requirements.
Inspecting and testing
Most imported food from New Zealand is exempt from inspection and testing under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme.
The only food imported from New Zealand that we inspect is:
- beef
- beef products
- ready-to-eat cassava chips
- brown seaweed
- kava products
- food trans-shipped through New Zealand (product is not 'cleared' for sale in New Zealand).
Food imports exempt from testing
To be exempt from inspection, food imported from New Zealand must:
- be grown, harvested and produced in or imported into New Zealand
- comply with New Zealand food laws
- be labelled at the point of sale with the importers name and business address in Australia or New Zealand.
Mutual recognition
The TTMRA is a non-Treaty arrangement between the:
- Australian Government
- Australian state and territory governments
- New Zealand Government
Under the TTMRA, governments in Australia and New Zealand have agreed that goods that can be legally sold in New Zealand can also be sold in Australia, and vice versa. The principles of this arrangement have been enacted through the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.
The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources manages the TTMRA.
Version history
| Date | Amendment details |
|---|---|
| 02/03/2026 | Updated to add kava products. From date of publication, kava from New Zealand is classified as risk food and subject to the Imported Food Inspection Scheme. |
| 28/1/2022 | First version of the webpage published on website. |