Inclusion of food safety requirements in BICON

The project to include imported food safety requirements in our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) is scheduled to be completed in June 2025.

Subscribe to our imported food email list to be notified of new releases and receive Imported Food notices including when these requirements will go live into BICON.

Currently BICON includes the biosecurity import conditions for commodities regulated under the Biosecurity Act 2015. However, under the Imported Food Control Act 1992 we also regulate food that is imported for sale, to check it is safe and meets Australia’s food standards, via the Imported Food Inspection Scheme.

Food safety requirements are currently available from department webpages - Import requirements by food type.

In BICON the imported food safety requirements will mirror the layout of existing biosecurity import conditions. After searching the food in the quick search field and answering several questions, a food safety requirements case will be provided with information about:

1. whether the food is permitted
2. how the food is classified (risk or surveillance)
3. the supporting documentation required
4. the analytical tests that may apply to the food and the permitted limits
5. the obligations at an imported food inspection
6. how to book a laboratory to test the food.

Enhancements to BICON will enable users to easily navigate between cases that provide the biosecurity import conditions and cases providing the food safety requirements, where these exist, by clicking on a single toggle.

Project benefits

Food importers, brokers, trading partners and department staff will benefit from this project by having:

• easier access to information about our border requirements for imported food with the biosecurity and imported food safety requirements housed in one database
• fewer delays at the border as information will be available from a single source and will be easier to understand
• improved delivery of service by the department and improved ability to train new department biosecurity and imported food staff.

By subscribing to our mailing list you will receive Imported Food Notices announcing the go-live date, and further information on how to navigate to food safety cases.

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