Notice to AQIS Staff, Importers and Brokers:

Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in the United Kingdom.

Australia has been notified that the United Kingdom (UK) confirmed an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

FMD is not present in Australia and the introduction of this disease would have serious economic consequences for Australia’s livestock industry. All cloven-hoofed animals (ungulates) are susceptible to FMD and include; cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, water buffalo, camel, bison, African buffalo, deer, antelope, reindeer, moose, llama, alpaca, vicuna, chamois, giraffe, wild boar, bush pig and warthog.

On advice from Biosecurity Australia, AQIS will be undertaking the following measures to reduce the risk of introducing FMD into Australia. These changes are effective immediately and include variations to current Import Permits, suspending imports of high risk items and undertaking case by case assessments of risk items from the UK.

Consignments containing these products will continue to be cleared provided they are clearly marked or accompanied by documentation indicating they were manufactured prior to 1 July 2007.

Suspension to the importation of certain types of animal and animal products

Goods manufactured or live animals exported from the UK on or after 1 July 2007 can not be imported until further notice:

·        FMD susceptible animals;

·        Lightly processed cheeses;

·        Milk products with more then 10% dairy content (including yoghurt, fresh milk, powdered milk);

·        Semen and embryos from FMD susceptible animals

·        Biological products produced from FMD-susceptible species (veterinary and human pharmaceuticals, laboratory reagents)

Case by case assessment of animal and animal products

Import Permit applications, where needed for the following types of products will need to be assessed by AQIS prior to importation. Other goods not normally subject to permits will also need to be assessed on a case by case basis:

·        Processed meat and dairy products (e.g. prepared meals^*, shelf stable/hermetically sealed/retorted meat and dairy products, flavours, infant formula, chocolate and confectionary, some highly processed cheeses;

·        Biological products from non susceptible species (veterinary and human pharmaceuticals, laboratory agents);

·        Canned and dried pet food;

·        Scoured wool;

·        Scoured animal hair and leather and products;

·        New and used saddles, harness and tack;

·        Second hand farming equipment used in rural areas

·        Live horses

^{*Prepared meals must be retorted in a process equivalent to 100°C for 30 minutes}

Imports of dried milk powder and processed cheese

Personal consignments of infant formula from the UK are still permitted for import.

Commercial consignments of dried milk powder are permitted under permit from FMD free countries only.

Highly processed cheese can still be imported if the following conditions are met and are accompanied by a valid Import Permit:

·         The milk used to make the cheese has been pasteurised (72°C for 15 seconds) and the cheese is stored for 30 days at or below pH6; or

·        The milk used to make the cheese has not been pasteurised and the cheese is stored for 120 days at or below pH6.

Increased Vigilance

All containers and air cans arriving in Australia are already subject to external inspections for quarantine risk material. Increased vigilance will be applied at all seaports, ECIR gates and air cargo inspection points.

All personal effects require inspection on arrival by AQIS. Increased vigilance will apply to all personal effects from the UK with particular attention being given to shoes, outdoor sporting and leisure equipment and garden tools/ornaments. Any soil found will result in the cleaning of these items at the expense of the owner.

Goods currently on the water

Affected goods from the UK currently on the water are excluded from these conditions if they were processed or manufactured prior to 1 July 2007. Import Permits for affected products will be amended to reflect this.

Affected goods processed or manufactured on or after 1 July 2007 are to be held at an appropriate class of Quarantine Approved Premises (QAP) until the goods can be assessed.

·        QAP Class 1 for shelf stable food, pet food, skins, saddles and tack;

·        QAP Class 2.5 for food requiring refrigeration;

·        QAP Class 5 for laboratory agents;

·        Quarantine Stations for live animals.

Affected goods that can not meet the varied import requirements may need to be re-exported or destroyed.

Further information please contact:

Live Animal Imports – Imports of animals

Phone:  (02) 6272 4454
Fax:      (02) 6272 3110
Email:   animalimp@aqis.gov.au

Biologicals Programme for - Food and food products, laboratory agents and animal derived products (excluding reproductive material)

Phone:  (02) 6272 4578
Fax:      (02) 6273 2097
Email:   biologicals@aqis.gov.au

Machinery imports

Phone:  (07) 3246 8706
Fax:      (07) 3246 8785
Email:   aqis.machinery@aqis.gov.au