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Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012

Sale and supply of alcohol generally - Licensing generally, requirements on licensees, and conditions - Other restrictions and requirements

58: Restriction on kinds of alcohol sold in supermarkets and grocery shops, and premises directly accessible from supermarket or grocery shop

You could also call this:

“Supermarkets and grocery shops can only sell certain types of alcohol with 15% or less ethanol.”

If you want to sell alcohol in a supermarket or grocery shop, you must follow some rules. You can only sell alcohol that has 15% or less ethanol by volume. This includes beer, mead, fruit or vegetable wine, and grape wine that meet New Zealand food standards. You can find these standards in the Food Act 2014.

You are also allowed to sell food flavourings that are meant for cooking and are not suitable for drinking on their own. These rules apply to supermarkets, grocery shops, and any premises that you can reach from these shops without leaving the building.

Some types of alcohol have special definitions, like beer, which is made from hops and cereals, and grape wine, which is made from grapes. Fruit or vegetable wine is made from fruits, vegetables, grains, or cereals, but does not include grape wine. Mead is made from honey.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3951532.

Topics:
Money and consumer rights > Consumer protection Business > Industry rules
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57: Display of licence: all licences, or

"Showing your alcohol licence where people can see it"

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59: Requirements relating to remote sales by holders of off-licences, or

"Rules for buying alcohol from a store without going there"

Part 2 Sale and supply of alcohol generally
Licensing generally, requirements on licensees, and conditions: Other restrictions and requirements

58Restriction on kinds of alcohol sold in supermarkets and grocery shops, and premises directly accessible from supermarket or grocery shop

  1. The holder of an off-licence issued for premises of a kind described in subsection (2) must ensure that no alcohol is sold on the premises unless it contains no more than 15% ethanol by volume measured at 20°C and is—

  2. beer that complies with the appropriate New Zealand food standard for beer; or
    1. mead that complies with the appropriate New Zealand food standard for mead; or
      1. fruit or vegetable wine that complies with the appropriate New Zealand food standard for fruit or vegetable wine (however that product may be described in the standard); or
        1. grape wine that complies with the appropriate New Zealand food standard for grape wine (however that product may be described in the standard); or
          1. a food flavouring, prepared for culinary purposes, that is unsuitable for drinking undiluted.

            1. The kinds of premises referred to in subsection (1) are—

            2. premises that are or form part of a supermarket or grocery shop; and
              1. premises that can be reached from a supermarket or grocery shop without leaving it.

                1. In subsection (1),—

                  appropriate New Zealand food standard, in relation to any kind of alcohol, means the standard for alcohol of that kind that is for the time being in force under the Food Act 2014

                    beer means the product, characterised by the presence of hops or preparations of hops, prepared by the yeast fermentation of an aqueous extract of malted or unmalted cereals, or both

                      fruit or vegetable wine—

                      1. means the product prepared from the complete or partial fermentation of any or all of the following:
                        1. fruit, vegetables, grains, and cereals:
                          1. preparations of fruit, vegetables, grains, and cereals; but
                          2. does not include grape wine

                            grape wine means the product of the complete or partial fermentation of fresh grapes, or a mixture of that product and products derived solely from grapes

                              mead means the product prepared from the complete or partial fermentation of honey.

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                              Notes
                              • Section 58(3): amended, on , by section 447 of the Food Act 2014 (2014 No 32).