Is Caffeine legal in New Zealand?

Legal status

Caffeine is legal everywhere as an ordinary food and beverage ingredient; the notable New Zealand status is the joint prohibition on pure and highly concentrated caffeine at retail. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which applies in New Zealand, bans retail sale of foods in which total caffeine is present at 5% or more in solid or semi-solid form (such as pure caffeine powders) or 1% or more in liquid form, a measure that came into effect in December 2019 after a caffeine-powder toxicity death.

Consequences if caught

No penalty attaches to ordinary caffeinated foods, drinks or coffee; enforcement targets sellers, with retail supply of pure or highly concentrated caffeine powders prohibited under the Food Standards Code and enforceable by New Zealand food-safety authorities.

If prescribed or medical

n/a — a food ingredient

Documentation

Ordinary caffeinated products need no documentation; formulated caffeinated (energy) drinks carry mandatory advisory statements and pure/high-concentration caffeine foods may not be sold to consumers.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with New Zealand’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.