The Australian Government’s BSE food safety policy 2009 requires that all countries exporting or seeking to export beef or beef products to Australia have a food safety risk assessment undertaken by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
The FSANZ risk assessment includes a desk assessment and an in-country verification assessment. It examines the effectiveness of BSE-related controls throughout the beef production chain in the applicant country including animal feeding practices, transportation, animal identification and traceability, slaughtering, and food safety and food recall systems.
Countries categorised as either Category 1 or 2 are eligible to export beef and beef products to Australia subject to the relevant certification requirements.
Category 1 status means there are comprehensive and well-established controls to prevent both the introduction and amplification of the BSE agent in a country’s cattle population, and contamination of the human food supply with the BSE agent.
Category 2 status means that countries have effectively implemented and complied with appropriate BSE controls to prevent both the introduction and amplification of the BSE agent in a country’s cattle population, and contamination of the human food supply with the BSE agent.
