Overview
Removing contaminants of biosecurity concern from the commodity or carrier.
- Examples include removing extraneous plant material and soil from a commodity, or requiring that a sea container be free of any contamination.
- Evaluating the efficacy of this measure requires demonstrating that the removal methodology is effective, considering the biology of the pest.
- Commercial practices can be considered during a pest risk assessment. This measure is often applied as an export requirement.
- Assurance can be achieved through inspection prior to export to ensure that the commodity is free of contaminants of biosecurity concern.
Evidence to support efficacy
Evidence is required to demonstrate that the contaminants pose a significant biosecurity risk, and that the proposed removal process is sufficiently effective in addressing that risk. Considerations include the biology and ecology of the pest and the life cycle stage that is likely to be associated with any contaminants associated with the commodity. The efficacy of decontamination processes can be confirmed by assessing consignments before and after contaminant removal.
Applying the measure
How it is used
The removal of contaminants is often applied as a standard export requirement to manage the risks of pests of biosecurity concern being moved in association with the traded commodity or conveyance. Typically, consignments and conveyances will need to be free from trash, other soil and plant material, seeds and unlisted pest species. Examples include removing extraneous plant material (including seeds), soil, and other biosecurity contaminants from a commodity, leaf material from fruit and vegetables, soil from bulbs and tubers, inspecting for contaminants in seeds for sowing, or requiring that a sea container be free of any contamination (animal material, live organisms, plant material, soil and water). Requirements can be more intensive if contaminants have been identified as a high-risk carrier of a quarantine pest.
Use with other measures
Removing contaminants is generally applied as a production requirement, irrespective of what other phytosanitary measures are required.
Similar measures
Removing contaminants differs from prohibit parts of the commodity which requires active removal of parts of the commodity such as tree bark from timber or plant parts from horticultural products that pose a specific or identified pest risk.
Removing contaminants differs from the surface cleaning measure which is specifically directed at removing pests that may be on the surface of the commodity.
Assurance of correct implementation
Assurance may require record-keeping and audit of any process aimed at removing contaminants. There may be requirements for the development of standard operating procedures and staff training to ensure that methods are correctly implemented. Pre- and at-the-border inspections of the commodity can also be undertaken.