Our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) was built by the department to manage biosecurity import conditions for over 20,000 products, including plant, animal, mineral, and biological goods. BICON helps you determine if a commodity is permitted under the Biosecurity Act 2015 by providing information on:
- biosecurity import conditions
- supporting documentation requirements
- treatment requirements
- import permit requirements.
At the border, we also regulate food that is imported for sale to check it is safe for human consumption and complies with Australia’s food standards. We do this under the Imported Food Control Act 1992 through a risk-based Imported Food Inspection Scheme. Information on the food safety requirements is available on the department's website.
To streamline the communication of both sets of requirements we are working on a project to incorporate food safety requirements into BICON. This initiative aims to make BICON the single source of information for imported food (to include both biosecurity and food safety requirements) for industry, our trading partners and department officers.
The updated system will allow importers to answer a series of questions about the food. The system will specify the documentation requirements for import, such as certification and lot code lists, as well as any inspection and analytical testing requirements.
There will be an internal-facing view in the database to assist department officers in assessing and clearing imported food consignments, enhancing efficiency and reducing delays at the border.
The project is expected to be completed in mid-2025. For more information on this project, please visit Inclusion of food safety requirements in BICON.
