Lifting ban on Australian meat and bone meal import

The order is grounded on an OIE resolution recognizing Australia as BSE free in accordance with Chapter 2.3.13 of the 13th edition of the Terrestrial Code (2004).
The order relies on the finding that Australia is free from BSE, scrapie, and other Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) under OIE guidelines.
The order references a Joint WHO/FAO/OIE Technical Consultation dated June 14, 2001 that recommended ruminant Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) should not be fed to ruminant animals and that feeding ruminant protein to ruminants is prohibited in Australia.
The order recognizes that MBM and other inedible products are regulated and verified by AQIS and processed under the Australian Standard for Hygienic Rendering of Animal Products.
The order cites that Australia’s standard for MBM and related rendered products is designed to eliminate pathogens relevant to Australia and prevent re-contamination.

The order lifts the temporary ban on the importation of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM).
The lifted ban applies to MBM originating from Australia.
The order ties regulatory confidence to Australia’s production framework covering MBM and other rendered products.
The order recognizes Australia exports MBM to Indonesia, Canada, USA, Europe, South Africa, Malaysia, China, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Secretary of Agriculture lifts the temporary ban on the importation of MBM from Australia.
Importation of the covered products is permitted under the continuing application of existing Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Animal Industry requirements.

All import transactions of the covered products must comply with the existing rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Industry.
Compliance is required for the import transactions even after the lifting of the temporary ban.

All orders, rules, and regulations, or parts of them, that are inconsistent with this order are repealed or amended accordingly.