11 April 2024
We have released the Import risk review for dehydrated and pre-sterilised microbiological media: final report. All comments on the draft report for this risk review have been considered in the finalisation process. The final report has now been published on the department’s website.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has conducted a review of the biosecurity risks associated with importing dehydrated and pre-sterilised microbiological media from all countries. The draft report was released on 17 October 2023 for a 60-day consultation period, which ended on 15 December 2023. The final report considered the comments received during the consultation period.
The final report is available on the department’s website at https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/policy/risk-analysis/animal/dehydrated-and-pre-sterilised-microbiological-media.
Microbiological media refers to a large subset of culture media products imported into Australia for a wide range of laboratory purposes including human and veterinary diagnostics, food safety testing, and scientific research. Australia does not manufacture microbiological media or its key constituent ingredients in sufficiently large quantities to provide the wide range of necessary laboratory services.
Many microbiological media products are highly processed and require sterilisation prior to use which provides inherent biosecurity risk mitigation for most significant disease agents other than the protease-resistant prion proteins responsible for causing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Biosecurity measures are used to manage the risk of these disease agents entering Australia in imported microbiological media products.
This review aimed to modernise Australia’s dehydrated and pre-sterilised microbiological media import conditions to reflect the inherent biosecurity risk mitigation. It considered the biosecurity risks associated with importing (from any country) dehydrated and pre-sterilised microbiological media. It has taken into account new and relevant peer-reviewed scientific information, international standards, relevant changes in industry practices and operational practicalities.
The key new import conditions are:
- Assurance that the goods are dehydrated microbiological media or pre-sterilised microbiological media
- Dehydrated microbiological media is imported in quantities of ≤ 5 kg per individually packaged unit
- Specific biosecurity measures to manage the risks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie in imported dehydrated and pre-sterilised microbiological media.
Following release of the final report the import conditions will be developed and implemented during new non-standard permit application assessments (including re-applications). There will be a transition period for the implementation of the new biosecurity measures, the length for which is still to be determined.
To receive information and updates on biosecurity risk analyses subscribe to Biosecurity Risk Analysis Animal at subscribe.agriculture.gov.au/subscribe. Subscribers will receive biosecurity advice notices and other notifications about animal biosecurity policy.
Dr Peter Finnin
Assistant Secretary Animal Biosecurity
Email: animalbiosecurity@aff.gov.au