Digital labelling: Government responds to industry calls for change
Announcement video of government decisions
The New Zealand Government has taken a significant step towards enabling digital labelling, responding to key requests from GS1 New Zealand and industry through its product labelling regulatory review. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regulation David Seymour announced the initial outcomes of the review at GS1 New Zealand’s Auckland office on 7 September 2026.
What is digital labelling?
Digital labelling enables product information to be provided digitally, either replacing or complementing information carried on physical labels. For New Zealand businesses, the opportunity is to create a more flexible and consistent approach to product information while aligning with the international standards and technologies already being adopted globally – including GS1 2D Barcodes.
On this page, you can watch the Minister’s announcement, hear GS1 New Zealand Chief Executive Dr Peter Stevens discuss the changes, view images from the event, read our media release, and see how the Government has responded to the five requests GS1 New Zealand made on behalf of industry.
More information