MPI Certification for Processed Foods

Official government certification for NZ honey, beverages, and manufactured food products.

Get Started
10+
Years Experience
One Partner
End-to-End Coordination
Primary Sector
Export Focus
Premium New Zealand food product undergoing quality verification

The essentials

What is an MPI Trade Certificate?

An MPI Trade Certificate is an official government document issued by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries that certifies your processed foods, honey, or beverages meet the importing country’s food safety and quality standards.

Rejected

Shipments without valid MPI certificates are turned away at border — no exceptions

Complex

The AP E-Cert portal has country-specific templates and strict field validation rules

Pre-departure

Certificates must be issued before vessel departure — errors mean your shipment misses the boat

New to exporting?

Our complete step-by-step export guide walks you through every document you need — including when MPI certification applies to your product.

Product coverage

Products we certify

Dairy Products

Butter, cheese, milk powder

Honey & Bee

Manuka, propolis, pollen

Meat & Seafood

Processed meat, seafood

Beverages

Wine, spirits, juices

Processed Foods

Jams, sauces, confectionery

Health Supplements

Nutraceuticals, dietary

Pet Food

Manufactured pet food

Horticulture

Processed fruit & veg

The system

The MPI AP E-Cert System

Digital system

What is AP E-Cert?

The Animal Products Electronic Certification system is MPI’s official online portal for export documentation. Most MPI Trade Certificates are now issued digitally through this platform.

Why experts matter

Why You Need an Expert

The AP E-Cert portal is notoriously difficult to navigate, with complex field validation rules and country-specific certificate formats. Certificates must be issued before vessel departure — any errors or delays can hold up your entire shipment.

We know exactly which template to use for each destination and handle the entire MPI process on your behalf — so you don’t have to touch the AP E-Cert system.

Our process

Simple 3-step certification

We handle the entire certification workflow so you don’t have to deal with the AP E-Cert system.

1
Data entry

You Provide the Details

Product details, commercial invoice, packing list, and destination country. We verify all information for completeness before submission.

2
MPI submission

We Submit to MPI

We enter your shipment into the AP E-Cert system, selecting the correct certificate template for your destination country and product type.

3
Approval

Certificate Issued

MPI verifies the information and issues the digital certificate. We deliver it to you and your freight forwarder immediately.

Global reach

Key destinations and requirements

European Union

Health certificates for all processed foods. Honey must meet strict residue limits and traceability requirements.

United Kingdom

Post-Brexit, the UK requires its own health certificates — separate from EU, issued via AP E-Cert.

China

Strict requirements for honey, dairy, and infant formula. Products must be from GACC-registered facilities.

Japan

Specific health certificates for processed foods and strict documentation for all animal products.

Middle East

Requires Halal certification alongside MPI health certificates for many food products.

Southeast Asia

Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand require MPI certificates with country-specific requirements.

What we need

Information required for certification

  • Commercial Invoice — Product description, HS code, quantity, and value
  • Manufacturing Details — Your RMP (Risk Management Programme) number or MPI-registered facility code
  • Destination Country — Where the product is being exported to
  • Consignee Details — Full name and address of the importer
  • Container/Shipment Details — Container numbers (if applicable) and vessel/flight details
  • Test Reports (if required) — Lab results for residue testing or quality analysis

Integrated service

Part of the
Documentation Bundle

To ensure your E-Certs meticulously match your commercial documentation, we handle MPI & Health Certificates exclusively as part of our comprehensive Documentation Bundle.

Zero discrepancies

Data pushed directly from your Invoice to the E-Cert system

Official submission

We manage the full TSW/MPI submission process

Compliance check

Pre-verification of HS codes and health statements

Government fees: Official MPI recovery fees (if applicable to your commodity) are passed through at cost within your bundle quote.

Documentation bundle

Complete Export Package

MPI certificates included alongside all your commercial documentation

  • MPI Trade Certificate (E-Cert)
  • Commercial Invoice & Packing List
  • Certificate of Origin
  • Bill of Lading coordination
  • HS code pre-verification
View Documentation Bundle

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

01
Do I need an MPI certificate for all food exports?
Not always. It depends on your destination country and product type. Australia typically doesn’t require MPI certificates for processed foods. However, EU, UK, China, and most Asian markets do. We can advise based on your specific shipment.
02
How long does MPI certification take?
Standard turnaround is 24 hours from submission. Rush service may be available for urgent shipments — contact us for details. Plan ahead and submit at least 5 days before vessel departure.
03
Does my facility need to be MPI-registered?
For many processed foods and all animal products (dairy, honey), yes. Your manufacturing facility must have an RMP (Risk Management Programme) and be registered with MPI. If you’re unsure, send us your product details and we’ll confirm the requirements.
04
What if my product doesn’t have an RMP?
Some low-risk processed foods don’t require RMP registration. However, you’ll still need to meet Food Act 2014 requirements. We can help determine if your product qualifies for MPI certification without an RMP, or guide you through the registration process.
05
Can you help with first-time honey exports to China?
Yes. China requires honey producers to be GACC-registered before the first shipment. This is a one-time registration process that can take several weeks. Once registered, each shipment needs an MPI certificate. We can coordinate both the initial GACC registration and ongoing MPI certificates.

Related

Related services

Health Certificates

Veterinary Health Certificates for meat, dairy, and seafood exports — handled through a different MPI pathway.

HS Code Classification

Correct HS codes are required for MPI E-Cert submission. Get expert classification to avoid rejection.

Commercial Invoice

Your invoice data feeds directly into the MPI certificate. We ensure both documents are fully aligned.

For a complete overview of all export documents, see our comprehensive guide to export documentation from New Zealand.

Ready to export? Let's talk.

Whether you're an experienced exporter looking for better documentation support or a grower making your first international shipment — let's talk.

Book a Discovery Call