Alerts

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is currently developing standard permits for cured pig meat from Italy and Spain, these will be introduced in late November or early December 2023.

The permits will be for non-composite cured pig meat only. However, ingredients required to cure the ham are permitted, e.g. chemicals, minerals and flavourings that are not derived from animal material.

What are standard permits:
A standard permit contains a specific set of conditions that have been assessed by the department as being appropriate to manage biosecurity risks for a certain commodity type. These permits do not list product names and any good that meets the permit conditions can be imported using the permit. More information on standard permits can be found on the departments website: Standard permits for biological products.

If the goods cannot meet the standard conditions, the importer must apply for a non-standard permit and the goods will be individually assessed.

There will not be any changes to the import conditions for cured pig meat, other than the requirement for a manufacturer declaration attesting to the name, address, and veterinary approval number of the curer/s of the pig meat.

Who does this alert affect:
Importers of cured pig meat from Italy and Spain, Biosecurity Imports Support Team, Pathway Operations Cargo - Assessment and Inspections.

Further information:
Please contact the Food Biosecurity Import Team on 1800 900 090 (prompt 1, then prompt 1) or email imports@aff.gov.au.