What food can I import into Australia?

It depends on the exact product and origin country — BICON is the source of truth. Shelf-stable processed foods are often permitted; fresh fruit, vegetables, most raw meat, dairy, eggs and raw seeds/grains are prohibited or heavily restricted.

Do imported foods need Australian labels?

Yes. Food sold in Australia must carry an ingredient list with allergen declarations, a Nutrition Information Panel, date marking, country-of-origin food labelling, and the Australian importer's name and address — all compliant with the FSANZ Food Standards Code.

What is the Imported Food Inspection Scheme?

IFIS is DAFF's risk-based border inspection program for food. Risk-category foods are referred for inspection and testing at rates that reflect compliance history — new importers should expect high initial referral rates and budget for inspection fees.

Importing Food & Beverages

Food sits at the intersection of two regimes: biosecurity (DAFF) and food standards (FSANZ). A food product must clear both — being safe for sale is not the same as being allowed across the border, and vice versa.

Step 1: Biosecurity — BICON first

Search BICON for your exact product and country of origin before anything else. Outcomes range from freely permitted to conditionally permitted (with treatments and certificates) to prohibited:

Category	Typical position
Fresh fruit & vegetables	Almost always prohibited
Meat, dairy, eggs	Mostly prohibited or heavily restricted; approved-country commercial product only
Honey & bee products	Restricted — disease risk
Seeds, grains, nuts (raw)	Generally prohibited; Khapra beetle risk (includes raw rice, unpopped popcorn)
Shelf-stable processed foods	Often permitted; may need a BICON check + documents
Alcohol	Biosecurity-manageable; excise-equivalent duty + WET on wine (29%) apply

Conditionally permitted goods commonly need an import permit (apply before shipping), a phytosanitary or health certificate from the exporting country, and a packing declaration.

Step 2: FSANZ labelling

Food sold in Australia must comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code:

Ingredient list in descending order, with allergens declared (bolded emphasis is standard practice)
Nutrition Information Panel in the prescribed format
Date marking — best-before or use-by
Country of origin food labels — "Made in", "Packed in" and percentage-of-Australian-ingredients bar requirements, policed by the ACCC
Mandatory warnings for certain ingredients (e.g., kava, royal jelly, added caffeine)
Name and address of the Australian importer/distributor

Brief your overseas manufacturer with the label artwork before production — re-labelling after arrival is possible but adds cost and delay.

Step 3: Border inspection — IFIS

Imported food is screened under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme (IFIS), a risk-based DAFF program:

Risk-category foods (e.g., certain seafood, ready-to-eat meats, some dairy) are referred for inspection and lab testing at a rate set by compliance history — new importers typically start at a high referral rate.
Surveillance foods are inspected at a lower baseline rate.
Failures trigger holding, relabelling where lawful, re-export or destruction — at the importer's cost.

Practical sequence for a first food shipment

BICON check → permits/certificates arranged before shipping.
Label compliance review against the Food Standards Code.
Confirm duty rate and any FTA preference; GST 10% on VoTI applies (some basic foods are GST-free domestically, but imported food GST follows the VoTI rules at the border).
Full Import Declaration (> AUD 1,000) with permit references.
Budget for IFIS inspection fees on the first consignments.

Personal imports of food by travellers and in mail are far more restricted — declare everything on arrival; most fresh and animal products will be seized and destroyed. See Special Cases.