Australia's Imported Food Program--a valuable source of information on micro-organisms in foods

Foods imported into Australia are subject to laboratory testing for microbiological and chemical hazards under the Imported Food Program (IFP) for the purposes of protecting public health and safety. The program, operating under the Imported Food Control Act 1992, is jointly administered by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) and the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA). Foods that fail under the IFP are subsequently subjected to appropriate treatment to rectify the problem, or are destroyed or re-exported. This article presents a limited analysis of IFP test results on selected foods imported between 1995 and 1999. As corrective action is taken immediately on the basis of failing test results, regular analysis of collated data is not considered a priority. Nonetheless these data potentially represent an important source of information on the nature of food microorganisms detected in imported foods. For example, IFP data could be used to focus local and state-based food surveillance efforts, provide information to importers, to inform national initiatives such as OzFoodNet, and to better target investigative and preventative efforts concerning foodborne illness.