Imported Food
THE IMPORTED FOOD INSPECTION SCHEME IN AUSTRALIA
Updated April 2003
The Imported Foods Inspection Scheme (formerly the Imported Foods Program) is jointly run by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), with FSANZ advising on food risk assessment policy for the program and AQIS having operational responsibility for inspection and sampling.
The legal basis for the inspection of imported food in Australia is the Imported Food Control Act 1992.
Inspections of food against Australian requirements is carried out by authorised AQIS officers. The standards applied are those set down in the Australian Food Standards Code (FSC) and these same standards apply to foods manufactured in Australia. FSANZ is responsible for the FSC.
Categories Of Inspection
When food is imported into Australia, it is placed into one of three inspection categories. These categories determine the frequency with which the food will be inspected. The categories are: risk, active surveillance and random surveillance. FSANZ advises AQIS, based on a risk assessment process, which food belongs into which category. These food inspection categories are regularly reviewed by FSANZ.
All risk categorised foods are inspected and tested against a pre-determined list of potential hazards, such as microbial risks, contaminants, pesticide residues etc. All surveillance foods referred to IFP are inspected, however, only some of these will have tests applied.
Risk categorised food: Food is risk categorised if it has the potential to pose a high or medium risk to public health. One hundred percent of risk categorised foods are referred to AQIS, by the Australian Customs Service (ACS), for inspection.
A performance-based approach applies for risk categorised foods. This means food products from overseas producers with a consistent history of meeting the requirements of the FSC are inspected less frequently than products from new suppliers or those with a history of failure against Australian standards. The three inspection rates are defined in the Imported Food Control Regulations, and any failure results in an immediate increased inspection rate. Risk categorised food is not released for sale until analytical results are known. The performance-based inspection levels are as follows:
- The first five shipments of a particular food first arriving from a particular producer are inspected; after five consecutively cleared shipments, inspection intensity drops to the next level;
- One in four shipments is then inspected (the other three are automatically released); after 20 cleared inspections and, if importation follows a steady pattern, inspection intensity drops to the next level;
- One in 20 shipments is then inspected (the other 19 are automatically released).
Active surveillance category: Ten percent of shipments of designated active surveillance foods, from every supplying country, are referred to AQIS for inspection. These products are released upon sampling. The test results of active surveillance foods are periodically analysed by FSANZ to review the appropriate category classification for these foods.
Random surveillance category: Five percent of all consignments of all foods not included in the risk or active categories are referred to AQIS for inspection. These products are released upon sampling. Neither AQIS nor the importer have the ability to predict which shipment or which foods will be held for inspection.
In the event of an active or random surveillance food not complying with the FSC, a holding order may be issued. A Holding Order against a foreign supplier effectively means that the inspection category of the food has been raised to ' risk' status. This means that all future shipments of that food from the offending supplier are automatically detained and held until compliance with Australia' s requirements is confirmed. After five clear inspections, the food reverts back to its prior surveillance category.
What happens during an Imported Foods Program Inspection
AQIS inspectors are required to check imported food against the requirements of the FSC. Inspectors examine all referred foods for labelling compliance and a visual inspection of the food. The visual inspection involves examining the packages for defects, and where appropriate, indications of contamination.
At the time of the inspection, the officer may take samples for laboratory analysis to ensure compliance with a range of standards including microbiology, chemical residues, additives and compositional requirements.
What happens to food that does not comply?
When a food fails inspection or analysis there are several options available to an importer that will determine the fate of the imported food. The most appropriate option will vary in relation to the food and the nature of the failure, but in general the options are: to treat the food, to re-export the food, destruction of the food, or to downgrade the food (eg for use as animal food or fertiliser).
It is the responsibility of importers to ensure that the foods they import comply with the requirements of the FSC. For this reason, importers should acquaint themselves with the relevant standards within the FSC. Depending on the type of food to be imported, the requirements of the FSC can be complex. If importers are unsure of whether or not their foods will comply with the FSC, it is recommended that they seek independent food technology and/or legal advice.
For further information
The Australian Food Standards Code can be accessed on the FSANZ website www.foodstandards.gov.au
Further information on importing foods into Australia and the Imported Foods Program can be accessed on the AQIS website www.aqis.gov.au
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186 PO Box 10559
Canberra BC ACT 2610 The Terrace, Wellington NZ 6036
Website: www.foodstandards.gov.au Website: www.foodstandards.govt.nz
Email: advice@foodstandards.gov.au Email: nz.reception@foodstandards.gov.au
Advice Line: 1300 652 166 Advice line: 0800 441 571