The Ministry of Business, Information and Employment has released an exposure draft of the Consumer Information Standards (Origin of Food) Regulations 2019 and is seeking submissions by 5pm on 10 February 2020.
An accompanying guide says the the Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Act 2018 was passed in December 2018. The Act requires the making of a consumer information standard under the Fair Trading Act 1986 to prescribe requirements for the disclosure of the country or place of origin of certain foods.
The Act requires the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to recommend a consumer information standard (to be made via regulations) within 18 months of the Act’s commencement (by June 2020).
The exposure draft of the regulations is intended to give effect to the Act. The guide says the final regulations will come into force six months after notification for non-frozen regulated foods and 18 months after that for frozen regulated foods (ie, 24 months after notification).