Dodgy pet food sent to the doghouse

New procedures for imported animal-based pet food through the mail will see items destroyed if they don’t pass muster.

Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity and Compliance Dr Chris Locke said the new measures were to control the risk of diseases.

“Animal-based pet food often contains high-risk ingredients such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken and fish,” Dr Locke said.

“If pet foods aren’t up to par, they can be a disease risk to not only our pets but livestock as well.

“Pet food can contain disease pathogens, like foot and mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, and avian influenza, which can all infect livestock.

“And unfortunately, people don’t just feed pet food to pets. Studies have found that pet food can be fed to livestock, like pigs and chickens, and can even be consumed by wild animals.

“If you’re an importer and want to bring animal-based pet food into Australia, you will need to make sure you are meeting Australia’s biosecurity conditions, otherwise you could see your product destroyed.

“Australia’s biosecurity system is world leading and has allowed us to keep a lot of pests and diseases at bay.

“We can all do our part to support Australian biosecurity.”

For more information, visit www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/travelling/bringing-mailing-goods#pet-food-and-treats.