Mandatory producer details for all imported food

The implementation phase of the requirement to declare a producer for all imported food in a Full Import Declaration (FID) will commence from 1 June 2016. An Imported Food Notice was published in March 2016 to provide a transition phase between March 2016 and June 2016 for industry to comply with the new requirement.

This new requirement will assist the department’s Imported Food Inspection Scheme (IFIS), industry with improved referral or release of food consignments and Australia’s other food regulators, such as state and territory health authorities, to respond effectively to incidents linked to imported food, such as the hepatitis A virus outbreak in February 2015 linked to imported frozen berries from China.

Implementing the requirement from 1 June 2016 will be done by tariff chapter, with the requirement first applying to those tariff chapters that represent the lowest frequency of food imports.  Inspection data has been reviewed to develop a timeline for each tariff chapter that covers food, which is generally covered in chapters two to twenty two.

For more information refer to Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website.