An American traveller's Easter visit to New Zealand has been cut short after she was refused entry for smuggling fruit and vegetables.

When the woman arrived at Christchurch Airport from Sydney on Saturday, bag x-rays revealed her suitcase was "packed" with undeclared produce, the Ministry for Primary Industries said.

She was forced to return to Sydney on the next available flight after the matter was referred to Immigration New Zealand.

Ministry spokesman Andrew Spelman​ said the woman admitted what she had done, and the decision to refuse her entry showed New Zealand took a tough stance on biosecurity when needed.

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The suitcase's contents included oranges, apples, avocados, eggs, sweet potato and carrots.

"When asked why, she said didn't want to cause delays for her travelling companions and she wasn't sure what she could bring in," Spelman said.

"We're talking potential host materials for a range of bugs could that devastate New Zealand's horticulture sector.

"The deliberate and reckless nature of her actions forced our hand. They needed to be dealt with more severely than a warning or a simple infringement notice."