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Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Import
  4. Importing goods
  5. Food

Sidebar first - Import

  • Importing goods
    • Biological products
      • Application to change the end use of imported biological goods (repurposing)
      • Biological products forms
      • Biological Consultative Group
      • Checklist for importing biological materials
        • Animal Feed (including pet food, stockfeed, aquaculture feed and bait) checklist
        • Importing laboratory materials for use in non-laboratory animals
      • How to import animal derivatives and microbial goods into Australia - general information for importers
        • Application for transfer of biosecurity risk material
        • How to complete an Application to Import Biological Materials
      • Questions and Answers
    • Cats and dogs
    • External Territories
      • Indian Ocean Territories (IOT)
        • Import conditions for solanaceous produce
      • Norfolk Island produce
        • Risk assessment-fresh apples and pears
        • Risk assessment-fresh asparagus
        • Risk assessment-fresh beans and snowpeas
        • Risk assessment-fresh blueberries
        • Risk assessment-fresh broccoli and cauliflower
        • Risk assessment-fresh citrus fruits
        • Risk assessment-fresh fleshy vegetables
        • Risk assessment-fresh kiwifruit
        • Risk assessment-fresh leafy vegetables
        • Risk assessment-fresh mangoes
        • Risk assessment-fresh melons
        • List of permitted species of mushrooms and truffles
        • Risk assessment-fresh pineapples
        • Risk assessment-fresh root crops
        • Risk assessment-fresh stone fruits
        • Risk assessment-fresh strawberries and raspberries
        • Risk assessment-fresh table grapes
      • Application for permit: External territories
      • Import conditions for public consultation
    • Fertiliser
      • Chemical and mined fertiliser
      • Level 1 gold supply chains
      • Organic fertiliser
    • Food
      • How to import food
        • Food Import Compliance Agreements
          • FICA audits
      • Import requirements by food type
        • Importing food from New Zealand
        • Pure and highly concentrated caffeine products
        • Cereal grains and cereal products
        • Coconut and coconut meat
        • Coconut milk drinks
        • Cheese
        • Dried milk
        • Raw milk cheese
        • Fruits and vegetables
        • Berries
        • Pomegranate arils
        • Hemp seeds and oil
        • Dried herbs
        • Paprika and pepper
        • Honey
        • Human milk and human milk products
        • Powdered infant formula
        • Kava
        • Beef and beef products
        • Processed meat - cooked
        • Meat and edible offal
        • Cooked poultry meat
        • Cooked poultry pate, paste and liver
        • Raw beef and beef products
        • Processed meat - uncooked
        • Uncooked slow dry cured ham
        • Peanuts and pistachios
        • Sesame seeds and sesame seed products
        • Edible plant oil
        • Cassava chips
        • Tofu, soy bean curd, soy milk curd
        • Mini jelly cups containing konjac
        • Prohibited plants and fungi
        • Bivalve molluscs
        • Cooked crustaceans
        • Fish and crustaceans - aquaculture
        • Histamine susceptible fish
        • Processed finfish
        • Brown seaweed
        • Supplementary sports food
      • Documents and declarations
        • Full Import Declarations
        • Declaring the producer of imported food
        • IFIS importer declarations
        • Food safety management certificates
      • Inspection and testing
        • Imported Food Inspection Scheme
        • Book a laboratory
        • Food sampling
        • Failing food reports
        • Reconsideration and review of decisions
        • Holding orders
        • Surveys and data
      • Appointed analysts
        • Testing imported food samples
        • Conditions for appointment as an analyst
      • Foreign government certification
        • Mandatory government certification
        • Voluntary government certification
        • Applying for a certification arrangement
      • Notices
      • Legislation
    • Live animals and reproductive material
      • Animals on vessels
      • Application to import
      • Cats and dogs
      • Fees and charges
      • Fertile hatching eggs (poultry)
      • Horses
        • Importing horses - Notices to Industry and Forms
      • Invertebrates
      • Laboratory animals
      • Live aquarium (ornamental) fish
        • Approved Aquarium Chemicals, Treatments and Antibiotics
      • Livestock
      • Pet birds
      • Pigeons
      • Rabbits
      • Reproductive material (semen and embryos)
      • Transit and transhipment of animals through Australia
      • Unique or exotic pets
      • Zoo animals
    • Major resources and energy sector
      • Biosecurity Management Plan Template
      • Industry Cargo Inspection Report template
      • Industry Vessel Cleanliness Inspection Report Template
      • Sail-Away Report template
    • Motor vehicles, motorcycles and machinery
    • Movement advice animal transport equipment
    • Plants and plant products
      • Bulk grain
        • Bulk grain guidance and templates
        • Managing the biosecurity risks of imported bulk grain
      • Compliance-Based Intervention Scheme
        • Compliance-based intervention scheme (CBIS) for animal commodities
      • Cut flowers and foliage
        • Managing pests
        • Supply chain management system requirements
        • Importing cut flowers for commercial use guide
      • Food, drink and supplements
      • Fresh produce
      • Live plants
        • Approved sources of Phalaenopsis
        • Approved sources of tissue cultures free of media
        • Changes to import requirements to protect against Xylella
        • Live plant forms
      • Managing plant imports biosecurity risk
      • Plant-based animal feed
        • Guide to engaging and undertaking third party audits of processed plant-based stockfeed facilities
        • Infographic - importing processed plant-based animal feed
        • Plant-based animal feed and fertiliser forms
        • Requirements for facilities manufacturing and exporting processed plant-based stockfeed and their ingredients to Australia
      • Plant products applied to soils and plants
      • Seeds for planting
        • Coversheet for seed for planting consignments
        • Department approved seed purity testing laboratories
        • Emergency measures: Tomato brown rugose fruit virus
        • Emergency measures for tomato and capsicum seed: Tomato mottle mosaic virus Questions and Answers
        • International Clean Seed Pathway Workshop
        • Pathogen test request form
        • Reviewing laboratory test reports checklists
        • Seed contaminants and tolerance tables
        • Vegetable seeds policy review
      • Plant research material
      • Processing imported plant material in Australia
      • Timber, bamboo and wood products
        • Approved treatments for timber and wooden related products
          • Timber permanent preservative treatment requirements
            • Approved timber permanent preservative formulations
            • Timber preservation standards
        • Canadian Sawn Wood Certification Program (CSWCP)
        • Imports for non-commercial (personal) use
        • Types of timber, bamboo, and related products
        • Wooden articles import permit
    • Timber and bamboo packaging
      • Bark on timber packaging and dunnage
      • ISPM 15 for solid wood packaging
    • Uncooked prawns
      • Par-cooking BBC prawns
      • Uncooked prawn consignments

Importing food into Australia

All food sold in Australia must meet Australia's food standards. We regulate food imports to ensure food importers import food that is safe and compliant with these standards.

All food imports must also meet biosecurity import conditions.

Get started

Boat

Step-by-step guide

Know your responsibilities when importing food.

Cheese

Types of food imports

Imported food must meet certain requirements. This depends on the food safety risk.

What to prepare

Document

Documents and declarations

You must provide us with certain information when you import food. Find out how and what to lodge.

Arrangements

Foreign government arrangements

We may require foreign government certificates for certain foods. See where these arrangements apply.

On arrival

Checklist

Inspection and testing

We inspect and test imported food to check it is safe and compliant under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme. This depends on the food safety risk.

Test tube

Book a lab

You need to book a lab if your food has been referred for testing.

Stay informed

Check our imported food notices for updates on imported food requirements.

Our role

We administer laws relating to importing food.

The Imported Food Control Act 1992 provides for us to operate the Imported Food Inspection Scheme.

Find out more about the legislation we administer.

Food regulation system

We monitor imported food at the border for safety and compliance with Australia’s food standards as part of the wider food regulation system.

Find out more about Australia’s food regulation system.

Imported Food Consultative Committee

We work with food and beverage import industry representatives, analysts and government agencies to consider practical and strategic issues that impact food imports.

Find out more about the committee.

Appointed analysts

Laboratories test imported food to verify compliance with Australia's food standards. To do so, you must apply and meet our requirements.

Find out how to apply.

 

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

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Last updated: 31 January 2022

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.