Australia is the latest country to take action to protect its food chain following the confirmation of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany.

Last week, authorities in Germany confirmed the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the country since 1988.

The outbreak was confirmed in water buffalo in the state of Brandenburg, which is situated in the north-east of Germany.

Germany's department of agriculture said measures to destroy the affected animals and set up exclusion zones were put in place immediately.

Australia has now implemented measures to ensure the safety of its own food industry, following in the footsteps of the UK which has already implemented a ban on the import of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany.

Following notification from Germany to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of FMD, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) in Australia is working to assess the biosecurity risk to the country and what this might mean for import conditions.

The DAFF is considering this in the context of the following impacted commodities:

Dairy that is sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany;
Personal dairy and beef food items imported as passenger personal effects or through the mail into Australia from Germany;
Reproductive material derived from cattle, sheep, goats, zoo bovids, giraffe or elephants sourced or exported from Germany;
Veterinary therapeutics containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany;
Pet food and stock feed containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany;
Laboratory goods containing bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine and camelid fluids and tissues (including but not limited to test kits, animal fluids and tissues, culture media, foetal bovine serum, environmental samples and other laboratory materials) sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.

The DAFF has also said that to help mitigate the risk to Australia, Germany has been removed from the list of FMD-free countries.

The department in Australia has amended its FMD-free list to reflect Germany’s new FMD status. Any commercial dairy consignment or personal quantities of dairy and beef food items from Germany will be held under biosecurity control, effective immediately.

Over the coming days the department will undertake a detailed assessment of all traded goods from Germany and may introduce additional import restrictions for commodities, including pet food, stock feed, laboratory reagents and reproductive material.

The department said it will also directly contact any permit holders or permit applicants impacted by this outbreak to advise of any potential changes to import conditions that may be required to protect Australia’s livestock production industries.

Goods in transit – any goods in transit will be held and assessed on a case-by-case basis. Generally, product manufactured prior to November 14, 2024 may be released from biosecurity control if suitable evidence can be supplied to biosecurity officers, according to the DAFF.

Product manufactured after November 14, 2024 may not be permitted entry into Australia and may be directed for re-export or destruction.