Our Auckland and Christchurch food testing labs continue to operate on public holidays to ensure your testing continues without interruption throughout the Christmas and New Year period. 

To enable us to maintain a seamless service, a $30 public holiday surcharge will apply to samples received and registered on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th December 2025, and Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd January 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Does the surcharge apply to testing that is received on a normal working day but processed or reported on a public holiday? 

No – the surcharge only applies to samples received at the lab on a public holiday.

Regular couriers don't deliver on public holidays so does this only apply to customers who deliver directly to the lab themselves? 

That's correct. Some customers also use a private courier or delivery service that delivers on public holidays, and these samples will be subject to the surcharge.

Does the surcharge apply even if we have a contract in place for our testing?

Yes, it applies to all samples received on the public holidays.

What if my shelf life or storage trial samples are due to be tested on a public holiday day? Will they be charged?

No.

Is this surcharge going to apply to ALL public holidays throughout the year? 

No - it just applies over the Christmas / New Year period.

More information

For a full list of operating hours for our labs, visit: Laboratory Operating Hours.

For any questions about testing over the holiday period, please submit a request.