NZ food labelling law exists to give consumers the information they need to make informed, safe purchases. For producers, that means a set of mandatory elements on nearly every packaged food product. Getting these wrong isn’t just a compliance issue — it can mean costly recalls.
The mandatory elements
Most packaged food sold in NZ must carry:
- Product name. Use the prescribed name if the food has one, otherwise a name that shows the true nature of the food. Some foods, including honey, must use the exact name from the Code.
- Ingredient list. List ingredients in descending order of ingoing weight. Compound ingredients under 5% only need their allergens and working additives in brackets. List additives by class name plus name or number, e.g. ‘Preservative (250)’.
- Allergen declaration. Allergens in bold, plus a bold ‘Contains’ line. More in allergens below.
- Nutrition Information Panel (NIP). Energy (kJ), protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium, per serve and per 100 g/mL, plus servings per pack and serving size. Our NIP formatter lays one out.
- Date marking. “Best Before” (quality) or “Use By” (safety). Use ‘Use By’ only if eating it after the date is a safety risk. Most frozen food uses ‘Best Before’. Over 3 months out, month and year is enough, e.g. “Dec 2027”.
- Percentage of key ingredients. If an ingredient is in the name or pictured (e.g. ‘strawberry yoghurt’), show its %.
- Net weight or volume. Net weight or volume in metric (g, kg, mL, L), at least 2 mm high, near the product name. (Weights and Measures Regulations 1999.)
- Supplier details: business name and physical address in NZ or Australia.
- Storage instructions. State storage conditions if the food needs them to last until its date, e.g. ‘Keep refrigerated at or below 4°C’.
- Lot or batch identifier. A lot or batch ID is required on packaged food. It can be a date code if that identifies the batch and where it was packed.
To see how your own label stacks up against these, check your label with the food compliance checker.
Allergens
Declare these if present: wheat, gluten (from barley, oats, rye), peanut, each tree nut by name (almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, walnut), milk, egg, fish, crustacean, mollusc, sesame, soy, lupin, and added sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more.
Allergens go in bold in the ingredient list and in a bold ‘Contains’ line right beside it, e.g. Contains milk, almond, gluten. A ‘may contain’ line is optional.
PEAL allergen format has been mandatory since 25 February 2024. Old-format stock could only be sold until February 2026.
Nutrition information panel
Most packaged food needs an NIP. Main exceptions: packs under 100 cm², herbs, spices, tea, coffee, water and alcoholic drinks (unless you make a nutrition claim). Single-ingredient fresh fruit, veg, meat and fish are exempt. Other single-ingredient foods (like honey) aren’t. Food made and packed where it’s sold doesn’t need a label.
Country of origin
NZ only requires country of origin on fresh or frozen single foods (fruit, veg, meat, fish and seafood) and on bacon and ham. Most packaged foods don’t need it, but if you state an origin it must be true. Exporting to Australia? Australia has its own origin rules.
Wine has its own origin rule, covered in our wine label guide.
Claims on the label
You need to be able to back up every claim on the pack. These come up most:
- Organic. Organic claims must be true and provable today (Fair Trading Act). A certifier’s mark isn’t legally required yet, but ‘certified organic’ needs the certificate. From 31 March 2028, NZ-made products in the covered categories can’t be called organic unless they meet the Organic Standards Regulations 2025, and most businesses selling them must be approved operators. Check with your certifier.
- Low fat. ‘Low fat’ means no more than 3 g fat per 100 g solid or 1.5 g per 100 mL liquid.
- Light, lite and diet. ‘Light/lite’ about fat, sugar or energy means at least 25% less than the regular version. ‘Diet’ has strict energy and nutrient-profile rules. Check Schedule 4.
- Natural, pure, fresh, homemade, superfood, healthy. Guidance, not a Code rule. The Fair Trading Act says claims must be accurate and you need evidence before you print them (Commerce Commission). ‘Healthy’ used about a food’s effect on health can count as a health claim under Standard 1.2.7.
Category-specific rules
Some products have additional requirements. Alcohol has its own rules, covered in our wine and alcohol label guide. The pregnancy warning is required now. Any drink over 1.15% ABV sold at retail must carry the FSANZ pregnancy warning label. It has been mandatory since 31 July 2023. Food with alcohol in it has a rule too. Over 1.15% alcohol: state the alcohol content. If it’s a drink over 0.5%, also state approx. standard drinks.
Guarana or added caffeine in cola: add ‘Contains caffeine’. Energy drinks and coffee drinks with 200 mg+ per serve have extra warnings and must show caffeine content. Check which applies.
Infant formula has strict rules on marketing claims. Supplements and nutraceuticals overlap with Medsafe requirements.
What this means for label design
The practical reality: mandatory content often takes 40-60% of your label real estate, especially on small packages. Smart design starts with the compliance copy and works around it — not the other way around. If your label carries a barcode, plan its space early. You can generate a print-ready barcode before you start the layout. Our prepress team reviews every food label before production and will flag compliance issues before they cost you.
This is general guidance, not legal advice
FSANZ writes the Food Standards Code. In NZ it applies under the Food Act 2014, and MPI (New Zealand Food Safety) enforces it. Food labelling law changes, and specific products have specific rules. Before committing to a production run, verify your artwork against the current Food Standards Code or engage a compliance consultant. We’re happy to recommend NZ-based specialists we’ve worked with.
Rules last checked against Food Standards Code, MPI guide to retail food labelling, FSANZ allergen labelling and others on 13 October 2026.