Driven by trade body Natural Health Products New Zealand, the sector has long called for updated regulations to govern both domestic and international operations, with various bills coming and going, but failing to clear parliamentary hurdles.
Today, its most immediate aim is to slash red tape around exports, believing this could see overseas trade double to NZ$1.3bn by 2030.
Under the current Food Act 2014,, businesses are required to submit an application to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to have exports exempted from New Zealand composition and/or labelling requirements to meet the rules of importing countries. Many believe this is effectively a system of pre-approval that has stifled exports and slowed speed to overseas markets.
Speaking via video at last week’s Natural Health Products New Zealand Summit in Christchurch, the country’s Minister for Food Safety, Andrew Hoggard, sought to reassure delegates he was working to find a solution.
“I would like to thank the sector for its proposals for export requirements, and I have noted your view that there is a need for urgent improvement,” he said.
“I’m doing everything that I can to affect changes to make it easier to innovate and export.”
He added he was working to reduce export restrictions for all foods, including dietary supplements, and that he hoped Cabinet would approve the changes in the ‘next few months’.
Acknowledging that this was only a first step and that dietary supplements often got caught up between multiple regulatory regimes - from those designed for foods to medical goods - he added that officials had been tasked to ‘provide targeted regulations specifically for dietary supplements’.
“Once ready, officials will work with you to fine tune amendments,” he added.
Natural Health Product’s New Zealand Government Affairs Director Samantha Gray said she was encouraged by the comments and his commitment to ‘clear red tape’.
However, she added this would require regulatory amendments for exports above and beyond what was outlined in his address.
“That work programme he spoke to is for general foods and although dietary supplements are included, it wasn’t designed for our sector, so some additional changes need to be made and we are continuing to engage with him on this.
‘It’s entirely feasible that the export issue could be fixed in months if the Minister moves ahead with the additional sector requirements with urgency. That would be a fantastic outcome for our sector and the wider NZ economy as it’s worth at least half a billion dollars in trade in the short term.”
She added that once the export-exemption issue was resolved properly, revenue and economic growth would flow rapidly, with knock-on benefits in terms of investment in R&D, capital growth of high value manufacturing capabilities and greater job opportunities.
However, she stressed it was vital the government allowed export exemptions for dietary supplements to carry evidence-based health claims, and meet the composition and labeling requirements of export markets.
“Any export-exemption work programme that does not permit exemptions enabling health claims is frankly a waste of time and resource - because health benefits are the key consumer purchase driver for dietary supplements worldwide,” she said.
In terms of domestic regulations, Gray believes the ‘targeted improvements’ suggested specifically for dietary supplements would be a good first step.
It is unlikely, however, that a fully-fledged bill specifically for the natural health products sector will emerge in this parliamentary term.
“ We’ll be continuing to advocate for modern and fit for purpose regulations for our sector in this regard, but because of this delay it’s imperative that the government moves forward with export exemptions for dietary supplements with urgency,” she added.