New Zealand rules that guide bringing food into the country is quite strict relative to other countries. What permissible in many countries particularly those countries popular amongst migrants, e.g. United Kingdom, US and Canada, will likely not be allowed into New Zealand.
When packing your food ingredients to travel to New Zealand, whether packing by yourself or commercially, ensure they are dried. Frozen food ingredients are not allowed to be brought on you but for a few exceptions like ice cream, for instance.
What food items are allowed into New Zealand. I have a video that explains all this on my channel.
How do you pack your food items or ingredients to bring to New Zealand.
These are names of some of the food items that I brought into the country – uyayak, afang, editan, nsad iyak, ntuen ibok, ata. To pack it you’ll need to
- Ensure they are free of bugs and insect. NZ are very particular about what you bring in cos they want to curb as much as possible the spread of disease in the country
- Ensure they are dried. Start your drying early. Don’t keep it to the last minute. Otherwise you’ll have to pay extra to get it dehydrated. Nigeria is hot and humid so when you dry, spread it out properly to ensure no mold grows on your food. It prevents loss and extends the keeping quality of your food.
- Use clear packaging. Unless you are bringing in commercially packed products like stock cubes or cereals for instance, then use clear bags. You can use a ziplock bag or clear packing bags. Or even those white nylons they sell for Ankara and ogi. Ziplock bags are the most common. Whichever bag you choose, ensure one that is not easily torn and that it is clear. Do not use black, blue or those yellow and black nylon bag to pack your food. You can use as a bag in bag that is it to pack your already packed ones
- Label correctly and legibly. You can print out the labels, use label stickers, or masking tapes to label your food items. Like I said in this video, write the name of the food in English. If you don’t know the English name, use the scientific name. You can write the name in your language but ensure you translate it to English or the scientific name. This is the food I brought it, it is called editan in my language. I don’t know the English name so I used the scientific name. Here you have zobo. I wrote zobo but also added the English name, hibiscus flowers.
- Pack your bags yourself, to know what is in your bags and to avoid stories that touch.
When you arrive, your bags will go through bio-security at all New Zealand airports. I have explained this as part of what to expect when you arrive New Zealand. The video is up on my channel.
Declare your food items (plant and animal alike).
The Sassy Engineer
If you don’t declare what you have, you can be:
- Fined a $400 fee at the airport.
- Fined up to $100,000 in court. (Instead of paying court that month) bring it , I’ll help you spend it.
- Be sent back home.
- Be sent to jail.
That’s how you pack food and bring to NZ. Subscribe for more of Coming to New Zealand content
