30 October 2008
Biosecurity Australia Advice 2008/33
Release of Final Import Risk Analysis Report for Chicken Meat
This Biosecurity Australia Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the final import risk analysis (IRA) report for chicken meat. Stakeholders have until 1 December 2008 to lodge an appeal in response to the final IRA report.
Biosecurity Australia has now completed the final import risk analysis (IRA) report and policy recommendations for the importation of chicken meat from all countries. The report was issued by the Chief Executive of Biosecurity Australia on 30 October 2008.
Releasing this final report follows consideration of 21 stakeholder submissions and comments on the draft IRA report that was issued in June 2006. Following consideration of stakeholder comments, arboviruses were added to the list of hazards and a new chapter on arboviruses was added to the Risk Assessment section of the report (the assessment concludes that risk management measures are not required for arboviruses). Additional information was also included in the report to clarify and update a number of issues.
One of these relates to avian influenza – the quarantine requirements for notifiable avian influenza have been split into highly pathogenic notifiable avian influenza (HPNAI) and low pathogenicity notifiable avian influenza (LPNAI). For LPNAI, the chicken meat must be from flocks raised in a country or zone which is free of the virus or the product must be processed off-shore or on-shore under quarantine control to ensure destruction of the virus. The quarantine requirements for HPNAI are the same as for LPNAI except that, reflecting the higher quarantine risks, processing on-shore is not permitted.
Another change relates to the risk management measures for Newcastle disease virus. The cooking time and temperature requirements have been recalculated and chicken meat must be heated to a minimum core temperature of 70°C for at least 8.2 minutes.
A draft final IRA report was reviewed by the independent Eminent Scientists Group (ESG) to ensure that stakeholder comments had been taken properly into account. The ESG report to Australia’s Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine was released on 8 August 2008 under cover of Biosecurity Australia Advice 2008/24. Information on auditing and surveillance has been added to the final IRA report following the ESG review and issues relating to human health have been discussed further with the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Biosecurity Australia will keep these agencies informed on the IRA and on any import permit applications for chicken meat.
The final IRA report recommends that nine disease agents require risk management to meet Australia’s appropriate level of quarantine protection. These include HPNAI and LPNAI viruses, Newcastle disease virus, very virulent and exotic variants of infectious bursal disease virus and four types of salmonella. Risk management measures include such things as country or zone freedom, or processing on or off—shore. Biosecurity Australia will consider other measures that provide an equivalent level of protection.
This IRA is being completed under the pre-regulated process according to the Import Risk Analysis Handbook (2003). Stakeholders may lodge an appeal in response to the final report. Stakeholders will have until 1 December 2008 to lodge an appeal in writing with the Import Risk Analysis Appeals Panel – a body independent of Biosecurity Australia – on one or both of the following grounds:
- there was a significant deviation from the process set out in the Import Risk Analysis Handbook (2003) that adversely affected the interests of a stakeholder
- a significant body of scientific information relevant to the outcome of the IRA was not considered.
In lodging appeals, stakeholders must give reasons for their appeal.
The panel normally has up to 45 days to consider any appeals and report its findings to Australia’s Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine. If there is no appeal, or once any appeals are resolved, the process is complete and policy recommendations will be submitted to the Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine for determination. Appeals should be submitted to:
IRAAP Secretariat
Corporate Policy Division
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Facsimile: (02) 6272 4506
Email: IRAAP
The final IRA report for chicken meat is available from the Biosecurity Australia website. If needed, a printed copy of the document can be requested from the contact officer below.
Please pass this notice to other interested parties. If those parties wish to be included in future communications on this matter they should get in touch with the contact officer.
Information on risk assessments and policy reviews being conducted by Biosecurity Australia is available on the Biosecurity Australia website.
[signed]
Dr Colin Grant
Chief Executive
Contact officer: Judith Bourne
Telephone: (02) 6272 5984
Facsimile: (02) 6272 3399
Email: Animal Biosecurity