Improving access to imported food safety requirements
From mid-2025 imported food safety requirements will be incorporated into the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).
See more about the Inclusion of food safety requirements in BICON.
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.
Brown seaweed in the Phaeophyceae class is classified as risk food
This includes brown seaweed belonging to the scientific class Phyophyceae or Phaeophyceae, that is dried, fresh or frozen.
Exclusions
- All other scientific classes of seaweed.
- Food containing brown seaweed as an ingredient; for example, soup or salad.
Community Protection (CP) question
You will need to answer these CP questions when lodging your full import declaration:
- IFIS: Are the goods seaweed of the Phyophyceae or Phaeophyceae class (brown seaweed)? Search ‘brown seaweed’ at www.agriculture.gov.au for more information
- IFIS: Are the goods seaweed of the Sargassum fusiforme genus and species (also known as Hijiki seaweed)?
Inspection and testing
We refer consignments of brown seaweed for analytical testing. Additional testing applies to Hijiki seaweed. During inspection, we will also conduct a visual and label assessment.
Table 1 shows the tests that will be applied and permitted results to the food type.
| Food type | Test applied | Permitted result
|
|---|---|---|
| All brown seaweed | Iodine | Maximum level 1000 mg/kg dry weight |
| Hijiki seaweed (Sargassum fusiforme) only | Inorganic arsenic | Maximum level 1 mg/ kg calculated at 85% hydration |
Food safety risks
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has given us advice about the risk of brown seaweed. This food presents a potential medium or high risk to public health for iodine. FSANZ has also advised that Hijiki seaweed presents a potential medium or high risk for inorganic arsenic.
Table 2 shows the scientific names of seaweed members of the Phyophyceae or Phaeophyceae class and examples of common names used for brown seaweed and their uses.
| Scientific name | Examples of common names used for different kinds of brown seaweed & uses |
|---|---|
| Laminaria spp. (e.g.Laminaria japonica) | Aokombu, Atlantic kombu, Common kelp, Cow’s tail, Cuvie, Cuvy, Fingered tangle, Haidai Dashima, Horsetail tangle, Horsetail kelp, Kelp, Kombu, Kombu Breton, Konbu, May weed, Oarweed, Oarweed kelp, Saccharina japonica (previously recognised name), Sea club, Sea girdle/s, Sea-girdles, sea rod/s, sea tangle, sea wand, slack marrow, Suboshi kombu, tangle, Wild kelp, southern stiff-stiped kelp, split blade kelp, split-fan kelp, split kelp, Stiff-stiped kelp, Red ware, Red wrack, Redware, Hai-tai. Uses: Dashi, salads, fried, soups, sauces, added to rice, beverages , sashimi, Kombucha (seaweed tea) |
| Undaria spp. | Apron-ribbon vegetable, Asian kelp, Japanese kelp, Sea mustard, Wakame, Precious sea grass, Fougère des mers, Kada-me, Mekabu, Niki-me, Wakame, Haiboshi wakame, Haijiecai, Quandai-cai, Miyeok. Uses: Miso soup, salads |
| Sargassum spp. (e.g. Sargassum fusiforme) | Binder's Sargassum Weed, Common kelp, Cattle sargassum weed, Gulf weed, Gulfweed, Holly limu, Japanese sargasso weed, Japanese weed, Japanese wireweed, Japweed, Sargassum algae, Sargassum grass, Strangleweed, Tuna weed, Turtle limu, Wireweed, Sargasse, Sargasso, Hijiki, Hiziki, Hoshi hiziki, Deer tail grass, Sheep nest grass, Hizikia fusiformis, Hondawara, Tama-hahaki-moku, Hai ti tun, Hoi tsou. Uses: Vegetable, Soup, stir fries |
| Cladosiphon okamuranus | Mozuku Uses: Salads, supplements |
| Alaria spp. (e.g. Alaria esculenta) | Atlantic wakame, Badderlocks, Bladder locks, Bladderlochs, Bladderlock/s, Dabberlocks, Daberlocks, Drilly kelp, Edible focus, Edible kelp, Henware, Honey ware, Honeyware, Horsetail kelp, Irish wakame, Keys, Murlins, Oarweed, Pacific coast wakame, Pacific wakame, Ribbon kelp, Short stipe alaria, Stringy kelp, Tangle, Wakame, Wild Atlantic wakame, Wing kelp, Winged kelp, American wakame. Uses: Salads, vegetable |
| Eisenia spp. (e.g. Eisenia bicyclis) | Kelp, Sea oak, Southern sea pal, Arame, Kajimi, Sagarame Uses: Vegetable, Garnish, Salads, pickles |
| Ecklonia spp. (e.g. Ecklonia maxima) | Common kelp, Leather kelp, Paddle weed, Sea bamboo, Kajime, Kamtae |
| Fucus spp. (e.g. Fucus vesiculosus) | Arctic wrack, Black tang, Black tany, Black wrack, Blackweed, Bladder fucus, Bladder wrack, Bladderwrack, bubble kelp, dyer's fucus, dyers fucus, flat wrack, fucus, fucus tips, horned wrack, jelly bags, kelp, kelp-ware, lady wrack, paddy tang, popping wrack, popweed, red fucus, rock weed, rock wrack, rockweed, rockwrack, saw wrack, sea oak, sea ware, sea wrack, sea-ware, serrated wrack, spiral wrack, spiraling rockweed, spiralled wrack, swine tang, toothed wrack, varech, Wrack, Cut weed. Uses: Additives , Flavourings, food supplements |
| Durvillaea spp. (e.g. Durvillaea Antarctica) | Antarctica algae, bull kelp, Cape kelp, Cape, Thonged, Cochayuyo, Huilte, Ulte, coyofe,Cochajugo, Chamisso, Hulpe, rimurapa, rimuroa, southern bull-kelp Uses: Stews, salads |
| Ascophyllum spp. (e.g. Ascophyllum nodosum) | Asco, egg wrack, Grisetang, knobbed wrack, knotted kelp, knotted wrack, lichen belt, Norwegian kelp, pigweed, rock weed, rockweed, sea whistle, wrack, yellow tang Uses: Alginate, seaweed meal |
| Postelsia spp. (e.g. Postelsia palmaeformis) | sea palm, sea palm kelp, Palm seaweed Uses: Chinese dishes |
This list is not exhaustive and other common names exist.
Version history
| Date | Reference number | Amendment details |
|---|---|---|
| 28/01/2022 | BSW 12/2021 & HJS 10/2016 | Combined Brown seaweed and Hijiki seaweed. Hijiki seaweed previously in separate webpage (Reference HJS 10/2016). |
| 15/12/2016 | BSW 12/2016 | Include table of kinds of Brown seaweed that are members of the scientific class Phyophyceae or Phaeophyceae. |
| 21/10/2016 | BSW 10/2016 | Added guidance for importers/brokers when answering CP lodgement question applied to imports of seaweed. |
| 1/5/2014 | BSW 05/2014 | Replaces Imported Food Notice 09/12 Tests applied to risk category foods |