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Case Glossary

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Case: Pet food Effective 19 Nov 2019 to 20 Nov 2019

Glossary

The following provides a definition of words or phrases that are found within the text. Some of these have a special meaning in relation to the importation or treatment of goods entering Australia and may be important to understand in meeting the requirements for import.

Term Definition
Approved Arrangement Site (AA Site)

An arrangement approved under Section 406 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cwlth) which permits a biosecurity industry participant to carry out specified activities to manage biosecurity risks associated with particular goods, premises or other things.

consumer ready

Consumer ready product is defined as product that is ready to cook/consume and includes the following:

  1. cutlets, including the central bone and external skin but excluding fins, each cutlet weighing no more than 450 grams; or

  2. skinless fillets, excluding the belly flap and all bone except the pin bones, of any weight; or

  3. skin-on fillets, excluding the belly flap and all bone except the pin bones, each fillet weighing no more than 450 grams; or

  4. eviscerated, headless ‘pan-size’ fish, each fish weighing no more than 450 grams; or

  5. fish that is headless and eviscerated which has been salted, dried or smoked, of any weight; or

  6. product other than fish meal, that is processed further than the stage described above.

Please note: Fish meal for use in pet food is not consumer ready.

consumer ready form

See consumer ready

core temperature

Core temperature is the temperature reached at the slowest heating point within a container. The slowest heating point is the point within a container that receives the lowest amount of heat energy during a heat treatment process.

goods

Goods include:

1. An animal.

2. A plant.

3. Any other article, substance or thing (including, but not limited to, any kind of moveable property); and, to avoid doubt, includes mail of any kind and ballast water.

hermetically sealed container

Hermetically-sealed container means a container that is airtight when sealed.

import permit application

The department will assess the application and on the basis of that assessment may decide to grant an import permit subject to any conditions deemed necessary for safe importation, use and disposal of those products.

It should be noted that applying for an import permit does not automatically result in an import permit being issued. The Director of biosecurity or their delegate issues the import permit. You should ensure that an application is submitted for each product type and that the prescribed fee accompanies the import permit application.

retorted

Retorted Products

Retorted products are heated in an unopened, hermetically sealed container for a time, and to a temperature beyond 100°C, sufficient to render the contents commercially sterile. In order to meet the Department of Agriculture requirements, all retorted products must not require freezing or refrigeration in order to maintain quality.

Retorting

Retorting refers to the process of cooking canned food or food in a retort pouch after it has been sealed in the container. The packages either go through a continuous retort (i.e. continually moving conveyor system) or may be cooked in a batch retort (i.e. big sealed pressure cooker). Many different types of food may be canned and retorted e.g. canned fruit and vegetables, canned meals (e.g. Irish stew), canned soups, retort pouches of tuna, etc

Hermetically sealed

A package is hermetically sealed if it is 'airtight' e.g. Heat sealed plastic bag, sealed can or glass jar with screw cap. Hermetically sealed goods may also be heat treated but ‘hermetically sealed’ is not the same as ‘canned’ or ‘retorted’. Many foods are packed in hermetically sealed containers, but do not undergo heat treatments in that package. These foods cannot be treated as retorted foods as they may not be sterile. Examples of such foods are milk powders, Milo and some types of cheeses.

Retort Pouches/Packaging

A retort pouch/package is a lightweight, flexible container or pouch in which foods are heated and sterilised. Retort pouches generally have the following features:

1. Manufactured from laminated polyester, nylon and/or aluminium. The polyester and nylon films usually have a layer of aluminium foil between them; and
2. Material used for manufacture of retort pouches may be thicker than the polyethylene used for vacuum pouches; and
3. Soft and flexible to touch; and
4. Do not require special storage conditions to maintain product quality e.g. refrigeration to maintain food quality prior to opening i.e. are shelf stable.

Vacuum Packaging (eg. Corvac or Cryovac)

Vacuum packaging refers to food that is packaged in heat sealed polyethylene bags, from which the air has been removed prior to sealing. ‘Vacuum packaging’ is not the same as ‘retort packaging’. Features of vacuum packaging include:
1. Generally constructed of transparent nylon or polythene in varying thicknesses (no aluminium foil); and
2. Soft plastic and wrinkled appearance due to the bag clinging to the product as there is no air inside the bag; and
3. Some vacuum packaged foods require special storage conditions to maintain product quality e.g. vacuum packaged meat or fish require refrigeration, i.e. are not shelf stable; and
4. Some vacuum packaged foods do not require special storage conditions to maintain product quality e.g. ground coffee, nuts.

Shelf Stable

Shelf stable refers to food that will last for an extended period of time, packaged or not, without any special storage conditions. For example heat-treated canned/retorted food will last many years on the shelf.

shelf stable

Retorted Products

Retorted products are heated in an unopened, hermetically sealed container for a time, and to a temperature beyond 100°C, sufficient to render the contents commercially sterile. In order to meet the Department of Agriculture requirements, all retorted products must not require freezing or refrigeration in order to maintain quality.

Retorting

Retorting refers to the process of cooking canned food or food in a retort pouch after it has been sealed in the container. The packages either go through a continuous retort (i.e. continually moving conveyor system) or may be cooked in a batch retort (i.e. big sealed pressure cooker). Many different types of food may be canned and retorted e.g. canned fruit and vegetables, canned meals (e.g. Irish stew), canned soups, retort pouches of tuna, etc

Hermetically sealed

A package is hermetically sealed if it is 'airtight' e.g. Heat sealed plastic bag, sealed can or glass jar with screw cap. Hermetically sealed goods may also be heat treated but ‘hermetically sealed’ is not the same as ‘canned’ or ‘retorted’. Many foods are packed in hermetically sealed containers, but do not undergo heat treatments in that package. These foods cannot be treated as retorted foods as they may not be sterile. Examples of such foods are milk powders, Milo and some types of cheeses.

Retort Pouches/Packaging

A retort pouch/package is a lightweight, flexible container or pouch in which foods are heated and sterilised. Retort pouches generally have the following features:

1. Manufactured from laminated polyester, nylon and/or aluminium. The polyester and nylon films usually have a layer of aluminium foil between them; and
2. Material used for manufacture of retort pouches may be thicker than the polyethylene used for vacuum pouches; and
3. Soft and flexible to touch; and
4. Do not require special storage conditions to maintain product quality e.g. refrigeration to maintain food quality prior to opening i.e. are shelf stable.

Vacuum Packaging (eg. Corvac or Cryovac)

Vacuum packaging refers to food that is packaged in heat sealed polyethylene bags, from which the air has been removed prior to sealing. ‘Vacuum packaging’ is not the same as ‘retort packaging’. Features of vacuum packaging include:
1. Generally constructed of transparent nylon or polythene in varying thicknesses (no aluminium foil); and
2. Soft plastic and wrinkled appearance due to the bag clinging to the product as there is no air inside the bag; and
3. Some vacuum packaged foods require special storage conditions to maintain product quality e.g. vacuum packaged meat or fish require refrigeration, i.e. are not shelf stable; and
4. Some vacuum packaged foods do not require special storage conditions to maintain product quality e.g. ground coffee, nuts.

Shelf Stable

Shelf stable refers to food that will last for an extended period of time, packaged or not, without any special storage conditions. For example heat-treated canned/retorted food will last many years on the shelf.

value

Fo value is a measure of the severity of a thermal process with respect to reduction in microorganism (Clostridium botulinum) viability within a particular product. Its expression is equivalent in sterilising effect to the duration of heating in minutes at a reference temperature of 121.1°C.