June 28, 2006

Australia intends to impose strict standards chicken imports

Uncooked chicken meat could be allowed into Australia only if exporting nations meet stringent risk management measures, according to a draft import risk analysis issued Wednesday (Jan 28) by government agency Bio-security Australia.

Consumers would have to ensure that the meat is cooked at high temperatures for long periods before eating, it said.

The draft report proposed measures to address quarantine concerns for nine diseases, including bird flu, Newcastle disease and infectious bursal disease, the agency said.

Current conditions on imports of cooked chicken meat are left unchanged under this latest draft of risk analysis.

The quarantine measures relate to the disease status of potential exporting countries following applications to access the Australian market. Applications have come from some members of the European Union, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Thailand and the US, the agency said.

The import risk analysis started in 1998 after applications were received in 1989 to allow imports from the US and Thailand, and in 1990 from Denmark.

The draft report included scientific risk assessments of 21 disease agents of quarantine concern, of which nine were considered to require risk management to meet Australia's appropriate level of quarantine protection.

Australia takes a conservative approach to chicken imports and keeps risks at a low level to provide a high level of quarantine protection, the agency said.