Alerts

On 25 June 2022, updates to BICON case content related to pet food, pet food ingredients, and supplements for companion animals will be made as part of the department’s ongoing commitment to quality review.

Updates will include:

1. Amalgamation of existing content from the ‘Pet food’ and ‘Pet food, supplements and ingredients of plant origin’ BICON cases into a single BICON case. The new BICON case will be titled ‘Pet food, pet food ingredients, and supplements for companion animals’. This case includes import conditions for goods that are intended for consumption by dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and horses (pet and performance animals) but does not include import conditions for goods which are intended for consumption by production animals or food producing species (e.g. cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens).
2. New case content which provides import conditions for ‘Freeze dried pet food’ from New Zealand.
3. New case content for commercially prepared and packaged, retail-ready pet food products and supplements for companion animals. This content relates to goods that only contain ingredients of biological origin listed on the department’s List of Approved Ingredients for Pet Food and Supplements for Companion Animals. Importers are now able to apply for a standard import permit for these goods.
4. Inclusion of a definition of ‘veterinary therapeutic use’ to help importers determine whether they are bringing companion animal supplements or therapeutics into Australia. A separate BICON case is available to importers seeking to bring veterinary therapeutics into Australia.

Background:
Updates to case content will improve the experience for users of the department's BICON database.

Who does this alert affect:
Departmental staff and Australian importers of pet food, pet food ingredients, and supplements for companion animals.

Important information for current subscribers of the ‘Pet food, supplements and ingredients of plant origin’ BICON case:
If you currently subscribe to the ‘Pet food, supplements and ingredients of plant origin’ BICON case you are eligible to receive Alerts and Change notices through the BICON system. This subscription will expire on 25 June 2022 with publication of the new BICON case ‘Pet food, pet food ingredients, and supplements for companion animals’.

If you wish to continue to receive Alerts and Change notices related to pet food through the BICON system, you must subscribe to the new case after 25 June 2022.

Further information:
Please contact the department on 1800 900 090 (prompt 1, prompt 1) or via email at imports@agriculture.gov.au