Australia has banned individuals from importing meat from 70 countries where foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been detected.
Previously, people could bring meat products into the country in their luggage or by post provided biosecurity conditions were met, but federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the risk of the livestock disease spreading had become too great.
"The reality is, especially in a multicultural community that we now are in Australia, there are particular communities that consume … highly processed sausages or other forms of meat, pork floss, things like that," he said.
"So it's a relatively small amount, but it's one of the higher-risk ways of this disease coming in and that's why we just can't take that risk any longer."
Farmers and authorities fear FMD could spread if meat products containing the disease are fed to animals.
"That would probably be the most likely way it would happen," Senator Watt said.
"Someone might bring in a product that contains live viral fragments, they eat most of that product and they throw you a little bit in the scraps bin from one of their animals, and then the animal consumes that, and then it gets in the animal food chain.
"We've certainly seen outbreaks occur that way overseas and we want to make sure it doesn't happen here."
Harsher penalties possible
The decision to ban individual meat imports follows increased biosecurity measures being announced in response to FMD being detected in Indonesia in May.
"When the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak first reached Indonesia, the Department of Agriculture really toughened those imports, certifications, a number of products, people stopped being able to import them and in other cases, conditions were applied," Senator Watt said.
"So people will still be able to commercially import these products, but they will have to pass all those rigorous tests and have the certificates."
Australia is free FMD, but an outbreak would bring farm exports to a standstill at an estimated cost of $80 billion over a decade.
Senator Watt said the government was considering increasing fines for anyone found to be illegally bringing meat into the country.
"If someone doesn't declare this kind of a product and is caught they can currently be fined up to $2,600," Senator Watt said.
"That's a pretty stiff fine, but we are looking at those penalties as to whether they should be increased."
'Better off without them'
Nationals leader David Littleproud said he had been calling for a ban on individuals travelling from Indonesia bringing food into Australia since July.
"The Minister has once again been late to make a decision and shown that he does not properly understand the need for speed due to the nature of the threat," he said.
Mr Littleproud, who is the shadow agriculture minister, has called on the government to introduce 3D x-ray machines at airports to assist with luggage screening and for the establishment of a national livestock gene bank.
National Farmers' Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said it was important that Australia strengthen biosecurity measures at the border as new advice became available.
"If this personal imports pathway for meat products is exposing us to unnecessary risk, then we're better off without them," he said.
Senator Watt said FMD spreading in other countries had helped more Australians become aware of the risks.
"I think that's one of the good things that's come out of this recent scare about foot-and-mouth disease … biosecurity is now on everyone's lips," he said.
"Whether that be farmers, rural communities, or even people in the cities."
FMD outbreaks are common across Asia, the Middle East, South America and parts of Africa.
