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Food and Beverages Importers Association (FBIA) Maximum Residue Limits ( MRL) in Food Products. Australia's border monitoring of residues in imported food. Tran Tang Assistant Director Imported Food Section Compliance Division. 2 January 2020. Presentation.
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Food and Beverages Importers Association (FBIA) Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) in Food Products Australia's border monitoring of residues in imported food Tran Tang Assistant Director Imported Food Section Compliance Division 2 January 2020
Presentation • Import Controls -– Imported Food Inspection Scheme • Limit (MRL) Monitoring • Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) • Managing failed foods Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Import controls Biosecurity and imported food safety controls are administered by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 3 Maximum Residue Limits in food products
Legislation at the border The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is responsible for administering the following requirements for imported food: Biosecurity Act 2015 Imported Food Control Act 1992 Imported Food Control Regulations 1993 Sets out how the IFIS works Imported Food Control Order 2001 Lists foods that are risk Protects Australia against biosecurity risks Addresses food safety & compliance with food standards 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 4
Imported food control in Australia Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Imported Food Inspection Scheme Food Standards Australia New Zealand • Monitor emerging food safety issues worldwide and locally • Provide scientific assessment and advice on imported foods Department of Agriculture and Water Resources • Considers and interprets FSANZ advice • Minister makes Orders to classify as ‘risk food’ • Implements targeted profiling of food consignments at the border Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Imported Food Inspection Scheme IFIS – Risk based inspection • Responsive risk based inspection scheme. • Inspection rates based on risk to public health and safety. • Food classified as either risk food or surveillance food. 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 7 Maximum Residue Limits in food products
Risk classified foods / hazards • Beef – BSE • RTE meats & pate – micro • Soft cheese – micro • Peanuts & pistachios – aflatoxin • Sesame seeds – Salmonella • Pepper, paprika, dried chilli –Salmonella • Cooked RTE prawns – micro • RTE finfish – L. monocytogenes • Histamine susceptible fish • Bivalve molluscs – micro & biotoxins • Brown algae (seaweed) – Iodine • Hijiki seaweed – Inorganic arsenic • Cassava chips – Hydrocyanic acid Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 2 January 2020 8
Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) Monitoring 02 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 9
Foods for MRL monitoring Current foods subject to sampling for residue analysis Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code Principle for MRLs If there is no MRL in the Food Standards Code for a particular food-chemical combination = No detectable residues are permitted Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 11 2 January 2020
Foods for MRL monitoring Chemical screen for fruit and vegetables Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
IFIS’s current practice • The legislation states: “unless a maximum amount of a permitted residue of an agvet chemical is specified for a processed food, the same maximum amount applies to both the processed and the unprocessed food.” • Recommendation: importers consider making an application to FSANZ for an MRL for the processed product (i.e. juiced and concentrated fruit) where there is a legal use for the chemical in that food in the country from which the food is sourced. Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
IFIS’s current practice • The IFIS only applies Standard 1.4.2 to food that is imported for human consumption (including when the food will undergo additional processing before final retail sale). • Food not imported for sale includes food for personal use, trade samples, ship or aircraft stores. These are exempt from Standard 1.4.2. Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Managing failed food Required to be treated (if possible), exported or destroyed 02 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 15
Failing food Summary of reasons for food failing inspection - all countries - 2017 http://www.agriculture.gov.au/import/goods/food/inspection-compliance/inspection-data Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Failing Food Treatment This is an option not currently permitted for MRL violations. 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 17 Maximum Residue Limits in food products
Failing Food • Export • This is an option currently permitted for MRL violations. • Exported food isrestricted to being exported back to the country from which the food was exported to Australia. • Note: In certain conditions an importer may request to export to a third country 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 18
Failing Food • Destruction • This is an option currently permitted for MRL violations. • Subject to biosecurity requirements the food may: • Be destroyed by deep burial or incineration. • Seek permission for redirection to animal feed. 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 19
Options for future compliance with MRLs • Harmonisation process for MRLs • FSANZ has a harmonisation process for all the other foods MRLs. • This allows an exporting economy to apply for an MRL that has permissions for use of an agricultural chemical on a food, where Australia does not have an MRL for that food. • Importers, exporters and overseas economies may apply for harmonisation of an MRL. The harmonisation process is conducted each year and takes about 12 to 18 months. 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 20
Options for future compliance with MRLs • FSANZ has commenced considering an ‘all other foods except animal food commodities’ low level MRL for selected agricultural chemicals where: • Primarily these low level MRLs allow for inadvertent presence e.g. spray drift. • Will not apply to veterinary chemical residues where predominant use is as a veterinary medicine. • There must be a registered use of the agvet chemical in Australia. 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Maximum Residue Limits in food products 21
Thank you http://www.agriculture.gov.au/import/goods/food Email: foodimp@agriculture.gov.au Subscribe for updates at: https://agriculture.custhelp.com/ Maximum Residue Limits in food products 2 January 2020 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 22