Animal feed checklist

The following sets out the requirements for applying to import aquaculture feeds and baits into Australia.

Please ask all facilities that manufacturer and/or export your product to complete our animal feed production questionnaire and then submit the completed questionnaire with your application.

If you’re applying to import aquaculture feed containing microalgae, please ask the relevant parties to complete our microalgae questionnaire and then submit the completed questionnaire with your application.

Processed aquaculture feed and processed aquatic baits e.g. lures containing components of biological origin

Your application to import processed aquaculture feed must include:

• Complete list of ingredients of product, expressed in percentages and adding up to 100%
• Origin of each ingredient (i.e. animal, plant, microbial, chemical, vitamin or mineral)
• Species of origin of all animal ingredients (e.g. bovine, porcine, avian, Salmo spp (salm)
• Full processing details. This may include pre-conditioning, extrusion, drying and baking applied to the final product. However, processing of the final product often includes nothing more than mixing of the component ingredients. In this case, please include any treatments applied to individual ingredients. This usually includes, heat treatments and sometimes pressure treatments. All treatments should include a measurement of the parameter (e.g. pressure of 300psi, core temperature of 100°C) and the duration of the treatment (e.g. 30 minutes), and
• Name of manufacturer of final product (if different to exporter).

Unprocessed aquaculture feed e.g. squid, fish—including fish heads, and unprocessed aquatic baits e.g. squid, fish—including fish heads

Your application to import unprocessed aquaculture feed must include:

• Full scientific name and common name of each species
• Country or countries of export and origin (if various countries each country must be listed)
• Information regarding the level of processing (i.e. whole or eviscerated, head-on or head-off), and
• Whether the product is wild caught or farmed.

The following sets out the requirements for applying to import bird feed or bird feed ingredients into Australia.

Please ask all facilities that manufacture or export your product to complete our animal feed production questionnaire and submit the completed questionnaire with your import application.

Your application to import bird feed or bird feed ingredients must include:

• Complete list of ingredients of product, expressed in percentages and adding up to 100%
• Origin of each ingredient (i.e. animal, plant, microbial, chemical, vitamin or mineral)
• Species of origin of all animal ingredients (e.g. bovine, ovine, porcine, avian, fish)
• Country of origin of all animal ingredients
• Species of origin (i.e. botanical name) of all plant material (e.g. Phalaris canariensis)
• Form of all plant material (e.g. seed/grain, peeled & cored fruit, stem, leaves, root)
• Full processing details. This may include pre-conditioning, extrusion, drying and baking applied to the final product. However, processing of the final product often includes nothing more than mixing of the component ingredients. In this case, please include any treatments applied to individual ingredients. This may include milling or grinding of seeds/grains (please include particle sizes), fermentation (please include 100% ingredients of fermentation broth), heat treatments, pressure treatments, or an application of steam. All treatments should include a measurement of the parameter (e.g. pressure of 300psi, core temperature of 100°C) and the duration of the treatment (e.g. 30 minutes), and
• Name of manufacturer of final product (if different to exporter).

The following sets out the requirements for applying to import pet fish feed or pet fish feed ingredients into Australia.

Please ask all facilities that manufacture or export your product to complete our animal feed production questionnaire and submit the completed questionnaire with your import application.

If you’re importing pet fish feed or pet fish feed ingredients for use in enclosed aquaria your application must include:

• Complete list of ingredients of product, expressed in percentages and adding up to 100%
• Origin of each ingredient (i.e. animal, plant, microbial, chemical, vitamin or mineral)
• Species of origin of all animal ingredients (e.g. bovine, porcine, avian, Salmo spp (salmon)).
• Full processing details including any heat treatments applied to individual ingredients and the finished product. This must include the temperature achieved at the core (centre) of each of the products and the duration that this core temperature is maintained and at what pressure
• Name of manufacturer of final product (if different to exporter)

The following sets out the requirements for applying to import pet food or pet food ingredients into Australia.

Please ask all facilities that manufacture or export your product to complete our animal feed production questionnaire and submit the completed questionnaire with your import application.

Canned / retorted pet food

You must include the following with your application to import canned or retorted pet food:

• Complete contents of product, expressed in percentages and adding up to 100% (include water)
• Origin of each ingredient (i.e. animal, plant, microbial, chemical, vitamin or mineral)
• Species of origin of all animal ingredients (e.g. bovine, ovine, porcine, avian, fish)
• Country of origin of all animal ingredients
• Manufacturer’s flowchart which includes information on the key processing steps e.g. preparation stages, product heat treatments, filling and packaging, sealing of final packaging and sterilisation steps (canning/retorting). The flowchart must refer to the temperature achieved at the core (centre) of each of the products and the period of time that this core temperature is maintained
• Name of manufacturer (if different to exporter).

Dry or semi moist pet food

You must include the following with your application to import dry or semi moist pet food:

• Full list of ingredients of product, expressed in percentages and adding up to 100% (include water)
• Origin of each ingredient (i.e. animal, plant, microbial, chemical, vitamin or mineral)
• Species of origin of all animal ingredients e.g. bovine, ovine, porcine, avian, fish
  Please note, for fish ingredients please indicate if they are derived from the family Salmonidae i.e. salmon, trout or related species
• Country of origin of all animal ingredients
• Full processing details including any heat treatments applied to individual ingredients and the finished product. This must include the temperature achieved at the core (centre) of each of the products and the duration that this core temperature is maintained and at what pressure
• Name of manufacturer of final product (if different to exporter)
• For products with a coating (e.g. fat, digest, palatability enhancer), applied following the primary production steps outlined above, the following information is also required:
  • Full list of ingredients of the coating, expressed in percentages and adding up to 100%
  • Origin of each ingredient (i.e. animal, plant, microbial, chemical, vitamin or mineral)
  • Species of origin of all animal ingredients (e.g. bovine, ovine, porcine, avian, fish)
  • Country of origin of all animal ingredients
  • Full processing details related to the coating. This must include the temperature achieved at the core (centre) of the coating ingredient and the duration that this core temperature is maintained and at what pressure
  • Name of manufacturer of the coating/s, and
• Date of last department inspection of the final product and coating manufacturing facilities (inspections should be performed and approval renewed every 2 years).
  Exceptions:
  • For New Zealand: The animal by-products must be derived from premises licensed pursuant to the Meat Act 1981 or approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and produced in accordance with New Zealand law.
  • For the USA: The manufacturing facility/ies must be USDA approved and registered as approved for export to Australia. Approval should be renewed every 2 years.

Please note: The following activities are usually performed at a supplier’s premises, not by the manufacturer of the final pet food product and must therefore have approval by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry:

• Where dry pet food products are coated with a palatability enhancer, usually of animal origin, following the significant processing step (e.g. drying / extrusion).
• Where the significant processing step (e.g. drying or extrusion, does not meet department requirements and therefore the processing of individual ingredients, such as poultry meal, bovine liver, is considered instead.

Plant-based pet food, supplements and ingredients

You must include the following with your application to import plant-based pet food:

• Full list of ingredients of product, expressed in percentages and adding up to 100% (include water)
• Origin of each ingredient (i.e. animal, plant, microbial, chemical, vitamin or mineral)
• Species of origin of all animal ingredients e.g. bovine, ovine, porcine, avian, fish
  Please note, for fish ingredients please indicate if they are derived from the family Salmonidae i.e. salmon, trout or related species
• Country of origin of all animal ingredients
• Full processing details including any heat treatments applied to individual ingredients and the finished product. This must include the temperature achieved at the core (centre) of each of the products and the duration that this core temperature is maintained and at what pressure
• Name of manufacturer of final product (if different to exporter)

Where the department determines the risks associated with certain imported animal feed can’t be sufficiently reduced through processing offshore, we may permit further processing onshore at an approved arrangement class 3.0.

• Learn more about applying for an approved arrangement class 3.0.
   

The following sets out the requirements for applying to import stockfeed, stockfeed additives and stockfeed ingredients into Australia.

Please ask all facilities that manufacturer and/or export your product to complete our animal feed and environmental purposes production questionnaire and then submit the completed questionnaire with your application.

If you’re applying to import stockfeed containing microalgae, please ask the relevant parties to complete our microalgae questionnaire and then submit the completed questionnaire with your application.

If your product is stored, handled or further processed at a third-party facility, A completed ‘Production questionnaire: third-party facility’ must be provided with your BICON application. This must have been completed by the manufacturing facility within 6-months of your application.

Note: Manufacturers may either complete the microalgae questionnaire or the Animal consumption and environmental purposes production questionnaire. The third-party facility questionnaire only covers storage, handled or further processing at third-party facilities.

Stockfeed of terrestrial (including avian) animal origin

You must include the following with your application to import stockfeed of terrestrial animal or avian origin into Australia:

• Complete list of ingredients
• Origin of each ingredient i.e. animal, plant, microbial, fungal, synthetic
• Species and country of origin of all animal derived ingredients
• Details of the manufacturing process. Applicants may wish to provide a flowchart of production to illustrate the manufacturing steps.

Stockfeed of aquatic animal origin

You must include the following information with your application to import stockfeed of aquatic animal origin into Australia:

• Complete list of ingredients
• Origin of each ingredient i.e. animal, plant, microbial, fungal, synthetic
• Species and country of origin of all animal derived ingredients
• Details of the manufacturing process. You may wish to provide a flowchart of production to illustrate the manufacturing steps.

Fermentation based stockfeed

You must include the following with your application to import fermentation based stockfeed into Australia:

• Complete list of ingredients including the genus and species names of all microorganisms used in manufacture
• Complete list of ingredients in the fermentation media
• Origin of each ingredient in the final product and the fermentation media i.e. animal, plant, microbial, fungal, synthetic
• Species and country of origin of all animal derived ingredients
• Flowchart of production showing all steps in manufacture. This must include all heat (please include times and temperatures), chemical, purification and fermentation steps. Please include the sterilisation protocol for the fermentation media
• Details of any carriers used (and methods of sterilisation for the carriers), and
• Details of packaging (bulk or small bags).

Plant-based stockfeed

The major types of plant-based animal feed are hay, processed stockfeed and bulk grain. Learn more about importing bulk grain.

You must include the following with your application to import plant-based stockfeed into Australia:

• Complete list of ingredients
• Origin of each ingredient i.e. animal, plant, microbial, fungal, synthetic
• Species and country of origin of all animal derived ingredients
• Details of the manufacturing process. You may wish to provide a flowchart of production to illustrate the manufacturing steps.

Audit requirements

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

For further information please see Audits for goods intended for animal-related purposes.