21 April 2010
Industry Advice Notice No. G2010/04
Management of Insect Detections in Bulk Grain
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) provides details of rejection procedures for live insects found in inspected samples. This IAN rescinds the advice provided under IAN 2009/01 dated 12 January 2009.
Prescribed grain loaded onto a vessel or into containers will be sampled and examined for live insects in accordance with the conditions specified in the Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Orders 2005. The actions that follow will depend on the freedom or otherwise from live insects found with the sample.
Bulk
1) No insects found in sample
All grain that has been sampled, found free of live insects and loaded on board a vessel will be considered to have met the conditions specified in the Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Orders 2005.
2) Insects found in sample
If a sample of grain being loaded onto a vessel is found to contain any live insects, the loading of the vessel will cease immediately. All grain remaining on the shipping belt and the source (cell, bin valve) will be subject to the rejection and treatment provisions specified within the Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Orders 2005. Provided that loading ceases immediately, all grain loaded onto the vessel will be considered to have met the conditions specified in the Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Orders 2005.
Containerised
1) No insects found in sample
All grain that has been loaded into a container (in bags or in bulk) without any live insects will be considered to have met the conditions specified in the Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Orders 2005.
2) Insects found in sample during loading
If a sample of grain is found to contain live insects, loading of the container will cease immediately. All grain remaining from the source (cell, bin etc) will be subject to the rejection and treatment provisions specified within the Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Orders 2005.
Note: The container being loaded will be rejected.
3) Insects found in sample presented for AQIS inspection
Where samples are presented to AQIS for inspection from a premises operating under an Approved Arrangement, the following procedure will apply to consecutively loaded containers. In a consignment of 20 containers, if insects are detected in the 5th container, containers 1 – 4 are deemed to have passed inspection due to the non-detection of live insects. Any containers that were loaded after the 5th container will all be subject to the rejection and treatment provisions specified within the Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Orders 2005.
4) Grain contaminated with live insects will not be allowed to load and receive treatment in the container after loading.
Note: The term "live" is to be interpreted to include insects that are apparently dying or moribund and refers to all stages of insects (e.g. larvae, pupae etc.).
Louise van Meurs
General Manager
Plant Quarantine and Export Operations
Biosecurity Service Group
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
P: (02) 62725429
Contact details: David Fouracre
Telephone: (02) 6272 4057
Facsimile: (02) 6272 5423