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Food Act 2014

Provisions relating to recognition, territorial authorities, administration, and enforcement - Offences - Offences

233: Offences involving knowingly or recklessly importing non-complying food

You could also call this:

"Importing unsafe food on purpose or by being careless is against the law"

Illustration for Food Act 2014

If you import food to sell that is not safe or not suitable, you commit an offence if you know it is not safe or not suitable, or if you are reckless about whether it is safe or suitable. You also commit an offence if you break the rules for importing food and you know you are breaking the rules, or if you are reckless about whether you are breaking the rules. If you commit this offence, you can get a big fine or even go to prison, depending on whether you are a company or an individual. You can get a fine of up to $500,000 if you are a company, or up to $100,000 and possibly prison time if you are an individual. If you break the rules, you will be in trouble with the law, and you might have to pay a lot of money or go to prison for up to 2 years.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM2996351.

Topics:
Health and wellbeing > Food and water safetyBusiness > Industry rules
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232: Offence involving knowingly or recklessly selling non-complying food, or

"Selling food that's not safe is against the law if you know or don't care it's not allowed."

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234: Offences involving imported food, or

"Selling imported food wrongly can get you in trouble with the law"

Part 4Provisions relating to recognition, territorial authorities, administration, and enforcement
Offences: Offences

233Offences involving knowingly or recklessly importing non-complying food

  1. A person commits an offence if—

  2. the person imports food to sell that is not safe or not suitable; and
    1. the person—
      1. knows that the food is not safe or not suitable; or
        1. is reckless as to whether the food is safe or suitable.

        2. A person commits an offence if—

        3. the person breaches prescribed requirements for imported food; and
          1. the person—
            1. knows that the person is breaching the requirements; or
              1. is reckless as to whether the person is breaching the requirements.

              2. A person who commits an offence against this section is liable on conviction,—

              3. for a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding $500,000:
                1. for an individual, to—
                  1. imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years; and
                    1. a fine not exceeding $100,000.