Into NZ - What commercial packaged food can I bring?

[wildwanderer]

Anyone know if I can bring all or any of the following into NZ from Australia. Ive had a look at https://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/travel- ... sonal-use/ but its as clear as mud to me.

- Commercially sourced and packed dehydrated minced meat.
- Commercially sourced and packed dehydrated chicken
- Commercially sourced and packed dehydrated vegetables.
- Carmen’s muesli bars. in original packaging
- Continental pasta and sauce. Instant pasta/sauce in original packaging.
- Ainsley Harriot Moroccan cous cous in original packaging.

All stuff would be sealed and unopened.

[north-north-west]

Unopened commercially prepared dried foods are usually OK.

[Mark F]

There must be a minimum of 3 or 4 threads on this subject and a few more on taking food in the opposite direction. Try the search function.

[wildwanderer]

There must be a minimum of 3 or 4 threads on this subject and a few more on taking food in the opposite direction. Try the search function.

I did. All the ones I found dealt with repackaging commercially sourced food or bringing in home made dehydrated food. (where is the poke tongue out smiley...)

Edit. actually I stand corrected. I was searching in the NZ section of the forum. However I just found a thread in the bush tucker forum on the very subject of commercial sourced foods.

[cams]

We were fine with a heap of Strive meals earlier this year. I was a little worried since they do look a little home made compared to some others. But they were fine.

[wildwanderer]

Returning to this topic with a AAR. (after action report)

My Strive mince and vegetable supplement packs made it into NZ. Though the bio security officer did have a good look, asked a few questions and attempted to peal off the strive sticker. (perhaps suspecting a homemade with sticker charade). Make sure the meals packs are well protected in your luggage as a hole in the plastic will lose the air seal around the food and then I think the chances of confiscation would be much higher.

So I wouldn’t say its guaranteed that strive foods will make it in.. due to the less commercial looking packaging. However its likely things will be ok.

All my other stuff: continental pasta n sauce powdered mixes, instant coffee, hot choc, soup powder made it in without a second glance. (all sealed and unopened in commercial packaging)

One thing to be on the lookout for is anything containing honey. I had to leave my beloved carmen's muesli bars at home due their honey content.

Obviously, any foods you bring in..declare them or you will be in more hot water than a thermal pool.

[lseries92]

I took 6 packets of Strive in through Queenstown in February of this year - they only took a quick look and waved them through.

[MicheleK]

I took my own dried food into NZ (Auckland) last April. I made the meals myself and dried them. No meat. I vacuum sealed them and printed some simple labels that listed all the ingredients. The guy at the airport was impressed. Everything was totally fine, except some dried tomatoes in a snaplock bag (because of the seeds).

I emailed Biosecurity beforehand, and also found their response a bit confusing and unclear. I printed out this correspondence, but didn't need it in the end.

I seem to recall that beans weren't an ingredient they were happy about so i left out pulses in my recipes.