From August 2025, we will start to implement new risk management measures for import of dairy products for human consumption. This will include negotiation of new health certificates with trading partners.
The transition to new measures will take 12 months to complete.
We will negotiate with overseas government authorities to develop new health certification for dairy products, including cheese, permitted for import. These overseas government authorities along with health certificate details will be available soon.
These measures were recommended in the final report of the Import risk review for dairy products for human consumption (the dairy review). See more on the risk review process and final report.
Summary of new measures
We will amend existing requirements and add new conditions. You can also find these changes in the section 5 of the dairy review.
Key amended requirements
- References to countries recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as free from foot-and-mouth disease, without vaccination, will no longer be accepted.
- Certification will require sourcing and manufacturing countries to be on the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List.
- Pasteurisation of the dairy ingredient or dairy product is now permitted, rather than of the milk only.
- Butter will no longer be considered separately from other dairy products and will subject to conditions for dairy.
Key new requirements
Starting from 31 August 2025, we:
- require ovine and caprine dairy products to be sourced from and manufactured in countries free of peste des petits ruminants virus in addition to FMD and sheeppox and goatpox.
- require dairy to be processed and manufactured at facilities that have implemented a quality assurance system and are approved by the competent authority for food safety in that country
- allow additional batch (or low-temperature long-time) pasteurisation for all dairy products of bovine, ovine and caprine origin listed on the respective disease-free country list
- add thermisation and high temperature curd cook as alternative treatment options for cheese from FMD-free countries.
Note: New requirements for cheese from countries not on the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-free country list will also apply. This includes additional treatment and ripening requirements in the section 5.2.1 of the dairy review.
Quality assurance program
For dairy products permitted for import into Australia under the new conditions, the goods must be produced under a quality assurance program that is in place for the production and manufacture of dairy products for human consumption.
It is a system of procedures designed to ensure food products are safe and meet specified quality standards throughout the entire production process. This is from primary production to the collection, transport and processing of the product.
There is no single quality assurance system implemented across all countries or production facilities. Each country or production facility may have their own quality assurance system. For example, a HACCP or ISO system, Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC)) in place.
Importing dairy products from non-FMD free countries
Applying for an import permit does not speed up the assessment. Before any assessment can begin, a formal request must come from the competent authority (government) of the exporting country, the country of manufacture, or the source country.
The competent authority of the exporting country must provide evidence to us. This evidence must show they have sufficient oversight to manage biosecurity risks and ensure the goods meet our import conditions.
This includes necessary information about the supply chain, such as:
- heat treatment or processing applied during manufacturing of the dairy products
- risk management processes at manufacturing facilities to prevent substitution or contamination of a product or production line.
We have developed a fact sheet for the process. See the fact sheet on dairy products for human consumption import risk review page.
Note: You must be aware that these assessments can be resource intensive for us and the competent authority. It may take some time to complete.
If a permit application exceeds the legislated timeframe for assessment, it will be refused.
Approval of manufacturing facilities
We do not approve manufacturing facilities in other countries for producing or processing dairy products for export to Australia.
In countries listed on the approved country lists, facilities must be registered, recognised, or approved by the relevant national food safety authority. You should contact the manufacturer or national authority to confirm this status.
- Approved country list for bovine dairy: FMD-Free Country List - DAFF.
- Approved country list for ovine and caprine dairy: List of countries approved for the import of ovine and caprine dairy products - DAFF.
How the transition works
During the transition period, we will issue one import permit with both the current import conditions and the import conditions listed in the dairy review.
You will only need to submit and pay for one application to receive both sets of conditions during this period.
If you have 2 sets of conditions listed on your import permit, you will only need to meet one set of the conditions in full.
Note: Goods must fully meet one set of the conditions. You cannot mix and match between parts of the two sets of permit conditions. You will also need to meet the import conditions that match the health certificate issued for the goods.
Import permit conditions
The timing of when your permit is issued affects which conditions apply. Check your permit conditions and validity during the transition period.
Permits issued before 31 August 2026
All permits issued before 31 August 2026 will have two sets of conditions:
- One set of conditions will be the current conditions.
- One set of conditions will be the conditions in the dairy review.
These permits are valid for 2 years.
If you apply for an import permit before 31 August 2026 and request a forward-dated start date (i.e., after 31 August 2026), contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice.
Permits issued after 31 August 2026
If your permit is issued after 31 August 2026, you will only receive the conditions from the dairy review.
We can work with you on a case-by-case basis if a country has not finalised negotiation of the new health certificate before the end of the transition period on 31 August 2026. If this might affect you, please contact us as early as possible.
Key dates
Contact us
For more information on the implementation of the dairy review, email imports@aff.gov.au.
For general enquiry and report a concern, contact us online.