IFN 05-22 - Food safety management certificates for imported food

Date of effect: 31 October 2022

Attention

Importers of ready-to-eat berries and pomegranate arils, and brokers acting on their behalf.

Purpose

To provide further information on food safety management certificates for foods covered by this requirement.

Key points

• From 9 November 2022, consignments of ready-to-eat (RTE) berries and pomegranate arils that are either fresh, chilled or frozen, that are not retorted, must be covered by a food safety management certificate.
• This requirement does not apply to RTE dried berries and pomegranate arils. However, importers of dried berries and arils can voluntarily lodge food safety management certificates, in lieu of having product referred for testing for E. coli (at 5%) rate).
• If you have not already done so, submit current and relevant food safety management certificates that you intend to lodge with future consignments, for pre-verification, to ifis-certification@aff.gov.au. Reissued certificates are also to be sent through for pre-verification.
• Check the instructions for entering the certificate number into the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) and uploading the certificate into the Cargo Online Lodgement System (COLS).

Instructions

1. Select ‘FSMC’ as the ‘Document type’ and enter the certificate number as the ‘Document number’ when lodging your entry in ICS.
2. Ensure the relevant food safety management certificate(s) is lodged as part of import documentation uploaded through COLS.
3. Notify us immediately if the certificate is no longer valid.
4. See further information:
   • IFN 03-22 Food safety management certificates for ready-to-eat berries and pomegranate arils that are fresh, chilled or frozen.
   • IFN 06-21 – changes to the inspection of some imported food
   • Ready-to-eat berries
   • Ready-to-eat pomegranate arils
   • Food safety management certificates.

Background

Under section 18A of the Imported Food Control Act 1992, a food safety management certificate may be required for certain food for importation. The certificate is evidence that a food has been produced through a food safety management system. This system must have appropriate controls in place to manage food safety hazards of concern during the production and processing of the food.

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