On 6 March 2025, Hungary provided official notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of the detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at a dairy farm in Kisbajcs near the border with Slovakia. This is the first detection of FMD in Hungary since 1973.
To help manage the biosecurity risk, the Hungarian Government have established a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone around the site of the outbreak. These zones also include territory in neighbouring Slovakia.
An outbreak of FMD has since been reported in Slovakia on 21 March 2025.
We are monitoring the situation in Central Europe closely and will update stakeholders if the disease spreads more widely.
Managing the biosecurity risk to Australia
Australia has removed Hungary and Slovakia from the:
- List of FMD-Free Countries
- List of countries for natural casings derived from bovine, caprine, ovine or porcine animals
- List of countries approved for the import of bovine fluids and tissues
- List of countries approved for the import of camelid fluids and tissues
- List of countries approved for the import of cervine fluids and tissues
- List of countries approved for the import of ovine and caprine fluids and tissues
We are working with impacted importers to vary biosecurity import permits to reflect the new FMD status of Hungary and Slovakia, and to restrict the importation of high-risk goods that were sourced, manufactured or processed in Hungary and Slovakia after 3 February 2025.
Goods impacted by the outbreak
The detection of FMD in Hungary and Slovakia will have impacts for a wide range of goods that contain or are derived from FMD-susceptible species. These include, but are not limited to:
- Goods containing greater than 10% dairy by dry weight where the dairy is sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia, other than commercially prepared and packaged chocolate. This includes goods that contain more than 10% dairy by dry weight in total but less than 10% Hungarian or Slovakian dairy.
- Personal dairy and meat food items imported as passenger personal effects, or received through the mail into Australia from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Natural casings derived from ovine or caprine species sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Reproductive material derived from cattle, sheep, goats and susceptible zoo animals (e.g., zoo bovids, giraffes and elephants) sourced or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Veterinary therapeutics containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Pet food and stock feed containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Laboratory goods containing bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine and camelid fluids and tissues (including but not limited to test kits, animal fluids and tissues, culture media, foetal bovine serum, environmental samples and other laboratory materials) sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Peat sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
Any goods in transit will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and potentially subject to biosecurity measures. Assessment may include consideration of whether the product or ingredients were fully finished or exported from Hungary or Slovakia before 3 February 2025.
Goods that pose an unacceptable biosecurity risk may be subject to biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction. Importers and brokers who are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging the export of any goods from Hungary or Slovakia to Australia. We are committed to ongoing trade where it is safe to do so.
Goods NOT impacted
Goods that do not require country freedom from FMD, include but are not limited to:
- Goods containing less than 10% dairy by dry weight and no other ingredients of biosecurity concern for human consumption.
- Lactose, solid chocolate (including imitation chocolate), and ghee for human consumption.
- Collagen, with a permit, for human consumption.
- Retorted dairy, meat and petfood, with a permit.
Impacts on import permit holders
To manage the biosecurity risks to Australia, we have initiated contact with permit holders and permit applicants impacted by the FMD outbreak in Hungary or Slovakia. We are now working with importers to vary import conditions to reflect the change in FMD-status.
It is expected that the changes to import conditions will restrict the entry of high-risk goods to Australia containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species sourced, manufactured or processed in Hungary or Slovakia after 3 February 2025.
Importing goods sourced, manufactured or processed in Hungary or Slovakia before 3 February 2025
Importers may continue to import goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species that were fully finished and packaged for export or exported from Hungary or Slovakia prior to 3 February 2025 and where all other import conditions are met. Importers/brokers will still need to supply evidence of the date of sourcing, manufacturing or processing before goods can be released from biosecurity control. The additional requirements may cause delays in releasing your goods from biosecurity control.
En route shipment of goods sourced, manufactured and processed in Hungary or Slovakia after 3 February 2025
The goods will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but it is unlikely that the goods will be deemed as posing an acceptable biosecurity risk.
Goods that are assessed as having an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk may be subject to biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction.
Importers and brokers that are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging for the export of any product to Australia.
Clarification of composite products and the 3 February 2025 cutoff
The 3 February 2025 cutoff date refers to the date when the dairy component of the goods was sourced, processed or manufactured in Hungary or Slovakia.
Viable FMD virus could be introduced into dairy products if contamination with raw milk or other dairy ingredients sourced from infected animals occurs during processing. Accordingly, products manufactured in Hungary or Slovakia after 3 February 2025 may not be permitted entry into Australia and may be directed for export, treatment, or destruction.
Dairy ingredients sourced from Hungary or Slovakia before the cutoff
If dairy ingredients sourced from Hungary or Slovakia were imported to another FMD-free country for processing, the importer or broker will need to be able to demonstrate that the dairy ingredients were fully finished and packaged for export or exported from Hungary or Slovakia before 3 February 2025 and link the ingredients to a consignment. This may include evidence such as commercial documentation specifying when the dairy goods were sourced, processed and/or manufactured in Hungary or Slovakia. An import permit is required to import these types of dairy goods.
Regionalisation agreements
Australia does not have established regionalisation agreements for imports from any country for FMD.
WOAH provides official recognition of disease-free status for a number of terrestrial animal diseases, including FMD.
Any request for Australia to recognise a country or zone as free from FMD must occur after the country or zone has attained official WOAH recognition of disease freedom.
The Australian Government will then undertake its own evaluation according to the existing policy which is outlined in Evaluation of animal health status of countries, zones and compartments for imports of animals and products of animal origin, available on our Import request page.
Chocolate and goods containing dairy
Goods containing less than 10% dairy by dry weight and solid chocolate, including imitation chocolate, for human consumption, can continue to be imported into Australia from Hungary or Slovakia. The goods still need to meet the relevant import conditions specified on BICON.
Extruded pet food
Extrusion is not generally considered an acceptable heat treatment to inactivate FMD virus. All import permit applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine the effectiveness of heat treatments.
Peat imports
Peat can continue to be imported into Australia from Hungary and Slovakia provided all biosecurity import conditions can be met. This includes the requirement that the peat not be sourced from an area:
- in which FMD has occurred in the past 12-months or
- within a three (3) kilometre radius of an FMD affected property.
Dairy foods for medical purposes
Foods for special medical purpose (FSMP) and special medical purpose products for infants (SMPPi) are critical for vulnerable people and trade in these products will continue where safe. We are conducting risk assessments on these types of products and will issue bespoke import permits, provided the biosecurity risk is acceptably low. Only SMPPi and FSMP as per Standard 2.9.1 or 2.9.5 respectively, of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Food Standards Code) are being prioritised and considered for the bespoke import conditions at this time.
Double pasteurised or ultra heat-treated dairy goods
Double pasteurisation or UHT is not considered acceptable treatment to inactivate FMD virus. Dairy products from countries that are not considered free from FMD by the Director of Biosecurity are required to be retorted. Retorting is a process where the goods are sealed in a hermetically sealed container and then heat treated at extreme temperatures for a period to render the goods commercially sterile, achieving an F0 value of 2.8. Standard retort process parameters include achieving a core temperature of 121.1°C for 2.8 minutes. Retorting is a process that has been proven to inactivate harmful pathogens of concern including FMD virus.
Testing products
Testing products for FMD is not considered an acceptable alternative to sourcing, processing and manufacturing goods in countries that are approved by the Director of Biosecurity as being FMD free.