Importing animal feed

Imported animal feed poses a high biosecurity risk. It can provide a direct pathway for exotic pests and diseases that can harm humans, animals, crops and the environment.

The major types of animal feed imports are:

• aquaculture feeds and baits
• bird food
• pet fish food
• pet food and pet supplements
• stockfeed and livestock supplements, including bulk grain

The department works with industry offshore and onshore in Australia to manage the biosecurity risks associated with imported animal feed to keep our biosecurity protected.

For detailed information on how import risk analyses are completed, please see - Conducting an import risk analysis.

You must know and be able to meet all import requirements. If the goods do not meet the import requirements they will not be permitted entry into Australia. Check the import information including risk backgrounds of a specific product on BICON.

Check if you need an import permit

For the purposes of risk management, an import permit must be obtained for goods being imported, unless they are listed in the Biosecurity (Conditionally Non-prohibited Goods) Determination 2021.

Before importation you must search and confirm the biosecurity import conditions of your goods to determine if your item can be imported into Australia and whether an import permit is required.

For commodity requirements, please search your commodity by intended end uses in BICON.

If your goods require a permit, an import permit will need to be approved prior to the import of goods.

If the department is unable to grant an import permit as the goods do not meet Australia’s appropriate level of protection or the manufacturer has not provided sufficient information, the goods cannot be imported.

A permit will only be issued after a risk assessment has determined that:

1. All ingredients are from sources (e.g. countries, species) that present an acceptably low level of biosecurity risk, meeting Australia’s Appropriate Level of Protection.
2. Biological ingredients are processed in a way that ensures that product exported to Australia is not contaminated with exotic pests and diseases
3. The product is manufactured in a facility that has effective controls in place to prevent cross contamination, and
4. The product is manufactured in a facility that complies with the department’s audit policies.

Goods requiring a permit that arrive without a permit may be re-exported or destroyed at the importers expense.

Permit application documentation requirements

The following sets out the requirements for applying to import animal feed:

Please see the Animal Feed checklist for commodity specific information requirements for:

• Aquaculture feeds and baits
• Bird food
• Pet fish food
• Pet food and pet supplements
• Stockfeed and livestock supplements

Audit requirements for manufacturers

The department may need to audit offshore manufacturing facilities and export pathways for imported animal feed and their ingredients based on several factors, including:

• The commodity
• Country of manufacture
• Onshore treatments (e.g. if the goods are imported for further processing at an Approved arrangement facility).

The department assess the information provided to ensure that biosecurity risks are managed at every step of the import pathway – from vendor assurance and good manufacturing practices through to arrival of the goods at Australia’s border. Department auditors validate that offshore manufacturing facilities are managing biosecurity risks to acceptable levels.

The department audits offshore manufacturing facilities and export pathways for processed plant-based stock feeds and their ingredients, such as:

• Soybean meal
• Palm kernel expeller
• Copra meal
• Corn gluten meal
• Dried distiller’s grains
• Sugar beet pulp
• Pea protein meals
• Wheat bran or millrun
• Canola meal
• Cottonseed meal
• Sunflower meal
• Compound feeds.

Audits may also be required for other plant-based animal feed products, depending on the level of biosecurity risk including the potential for diverting that product for stockfeed use.

To learn more, please see:

• biosecurity requirements for export facilities.
• [Link to audit page when created] audits for goods intended for animal-related purposes.