Packing things,can I use carton boxes?

[nms.sun3]

But if you are unlucky, you may need to wait quite a while. I once waited 45 mins because I carried a few food items as gifts.

Does this mean that you can indeed bring on food items while we fly to NZ? We are planning to bring in few indian spices/masala powders and declare them at the airport. I do know that its available widely across NZ but am bringing in atleast 100-200 gm of each so we dont have to run around various places to buy them during first few days.

[batgirl1001]

You can bring in these food items into NZ (although they are widely available in supermarkets, it may not be to your liking or tastebuds) but the main thing is to declare them onto the forms and be ready to have them inspected.

The waiting time varies when you need to queue for inspection. It may take a while, in my particular case, it was long as I happened to be in a queue with people who were bringing in questionable items like dried food/meats and tourists with camping/sports equipment.

[JandM]

Does this mean that you can indeed bring on food items while we fly to NZ? We are planning to bring in few indian spices/masala powders and declare them at the airport. I do know that its available widely across NZ but am bringing in atleast 100-200 gm of each so we dont have to run around various places to buy them during first few days.

Any foodstuffs you bring in need to be commercially packaged, including labels clearly stating the content (and ingredients for any prepared items). And you absolutely MUST declare anything you are carrying.
http://www.mpi.govt.nz/travel-and-re...ms-to-declare/
http://www.customs.govt.nz/features/...t.aspx?q=5&s=5

[nms.sun3]

Any foodstuffs you bring in need to be commercially packaged, including labels clearly stating the content (and ingredients for any prepared items). And you absolutely MUST declare anything you are carrying.
http://www.mpi.govt.nz/travel-and-re...ms-to-declare/
http://www.customs.govt.nz/features/...t.aspx?q=5&s=5

yes JandM.

We intend to declare and find out what is allowed & what is not. In addition to food items we are also bringing in few herbal medicines for adults & kids. Are these allowed as some of them are not commercially packaged?

[JandM]

Anything that isn't commercially packaged would be confiscated and destroyed. (The reason is that officials aren't allowed to take you word for what you have brought, and can't be expected to research what it is. Things must be in sealed packets which state what they are.)