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Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Import
  4. Importing goods
  5. Food
  6. food type
  7. Crustaceans that are cooked and ready-to-eat

Sidebar first - Import

  • Import requirements by food type
    • Importing food from New Zealand
    • Pure and highly concentrated caffeine products
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    • Cooked crustaceans
    • Fish and crustaceans - aquaculture
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Crustaceans that are cooked and ready-to-eat

All biosecurity requirements must be met before Imported Food Inspection Scheme requirements apply.

Check our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) for biosecurity import conditions.

We classify imported food that presents a potential medium or high risk to public health as risk food. All risk food is listed in the Imported Food Control Order 2019.

Crustaceans and crustacean products that are cooked and ready-to-eat are risk food

This includes, but is not limited to, cooked and ready-to-eat:

  • Crab
  • Crayfish
  • Prawn or shrimp

Exclusions

Crustaceans and crustacea products that are:

  • retorted and shelf stable
  • dried
  • from New Zealand.

Declaring certificates

When lodging a Full Import Declaration (FID), use the correct ICS document code and certificate number for the food.

See lodging declarations and documentation.

Community Protection (CP) question

You will need to answer this CP question when lodging your full import declaration:

IFIS: Are the goods cooked crustaceans that require refrigeration (chilled or frozen) and do not require further cooking before consumption? (Answer 'no' if the goods are crumbed or battered).

Inspection and testing

We refer consignments of cooked crustaceans and crustacea products that are ready-to-eat for analytical testing. During inspection, we will also conduct a visual and label assessment.

Testing for Listeria monocytogenes applies to cooked crustaceans that are ready-to-eat at a rate based on the compliance history of the particular food.

Testing for Salmonella applies at the rate of 5%.

Additional requirements apply to specific seafood. See fish and crustaceans from aquaculture production.

Table 1 shows the tests that will be applied and permitted results for each food type.

Table 1, Food type, test applied and permitted results

Food type Test applied Permitted result
Cooked crustaceans that are ready-to-eat Listeria monocytogenes
Note: An IFIS Importer declaration can be lodged for this food where it does not support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes.
n=5, c=0, m= not detected in 25 g
Cooked crustaceans that are ready-to-eat Salmonella n=5, c=0, m= not detected in 25 g
Prawns and shrimp Vibrio cholerae n=5, c=0, m= not detected in 25 g

n = the number of samples to be analysed from a lot of food.
c = the maximum number of sample units that can be greater than ‘m’.
m = the acceptable microbiological level in a sample unit.

Food safety risks

Food Standard Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has given us advice about the risk of cooked crustaceans that are ready-to-eat and support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. These products present a potential medium or high risk to public health and safety for Listeria monocytogenes.

FSANZ has also advised that ready-to-eat cooked prawns and shrimp present a potential medium or high risk for Vibrio cholerae.

Voluntary foreign government certification arrangements

We have a voluntary certification arrangement in place with Canada and Thailand for cooked crustaceans that are ready-to-eat. Consignments of these foods from Canada and Thailand with a recognised government certificate have a reduced rate of inspection and testing.

Certificate requirements

Type of information To include
National competent authority: Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Recognised certificate title Certificate of Origin and Hygiene
ICS document code: CI

Certificate requirements

Type of information To include
National competent authority: Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives – Department of Fisheries
Recognised certificate titles:
  • Health Certificate for fishery and aquaculture products originating in Thailand
  • Health Certificate for prawns and prawn meat for human consumption
Additional requirement: The certificate must identify that the food has been sourced from an establishment approved by the Department of Fisheries, Thailand.
ICS document code: DOFHCTH

Glossary

Ready-to-eat

Food is ready-to-eat if it is ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold.

To avoid doubt, food is not ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold if, before it is consumed, it requires further processing (such as cooking) to reduce any pathogenic microorganisms potentially present in the food to safe levels.

Retorted

Animal products are retorted if they are heated in a hermetically sealed container to a minimum core temperature of 100°C, obtaining an F0 value of at least 2.8.

Shelf stable

Goods are shelf stable if the:

  • goods have been commercially manufactured
  • goods have been packaged by the manufacturer
  • goods are in that package
  • package has not been opened or broken
  • goods are able to be stored in the package at room or ambient temperature, and
  • goods do not require refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened.

Version history

Date Reference number Amendment details
10/11/2020 CRU 11/2020 Removed tests for coagulase-positive staphylococci and Standard Plate Count (SPC). Test for Listeria monocytogenes increased to risk rate. Test for salmonella sp. reduced to surveillance rate.
25/03/2019 CRU 03/2019 Added tests for Listeria monocytogenes

16/11/2018

CRU 11/2018

Consolidates risk food webpage for cooked prawns and shrimp

1/5/2014

CRU 05/2014

Replaces Imported Food Notice 09/12 Tests applied to risk category foods

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Last updated: 29 November 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.