18 July 2024
Who does this notice affect?
Importers of culture media products
What has changed?
The department has completed an import risk review of dehydrated and pre-sterilised microbiological media. The review recommends new baseline risk mitigation measures to modernise and simplify Australia’s import conditions for microbiological media.
The department will be implementing the recommendations of this review from 1 August 2024.
If you have submitted an import permit application prior to 1 August 2024 and would like us to hold your application until the new process is in place, please contact the assessing officer assigned to your application or the Laboratory and Human Tissues team at imports@aff.gov.au or 1800 900 090 as soon as possible.
What is the impact for my permit?
There will be no impacts to permits and you will be able to continue to use your current permit/s to import goods. If you hold a current permit, it will not be varied unless you apply for a variation for your goods to be assessed against the recommendations of the review. Alternatively, you can apply for a new permit. In either case, import permit application fees will be applied as per the Departmental Charging Guidelines and normal waiting periods apply.
What types of culture media will be assessed under the new process?
Pre-sterilised or dehydrated* selective, differential, nutritive and enrichment media for the growth of microorganisms will now be assessed using the recommendations of the review. Media used for the culture of cells derived from animals, humans, and plants, and goods which do not meet the baseline risk mitigation measures recommended in the review will be assessed using existing policy.
*Excluding dehydrated media in units > 5 kg.
Will there be changes to the application process?
You can still apply for an import permit by searching for “culture media” in BICON, or by using the re-application function in BICON if you have an existing permit. The only change will be to the product questionnaire for pre-sterilised or dehydrated selective, differential, nutritive and enrichment media that is required to be submitted with an application.
How do I tell you that my goods are microbiological media?
The current questionnaire for culture media will be replaced with two new questionnaires: one for microbiological media and one for cell culture media. If your goods are microbiological media, please have the manufacturer complete this questionnaire. If the application includes both culture media and microbiological media, please complete both questionnaires to attach to your application. These questionnaires are available to download after searching for “culture media” in BICON.
Further information
For further information, please contact us by email at imports@aff.gov.au or by phone on 1800 900 090.