2008‑2009‑2010

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Presented and read a first time

Imported Food Control Amendment (Bovine Meat) Bill 2010

No.      , 2010

(Mr Oakeshott)

A Bill for an Act to protect consumers against the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy being present in imported meat

Contents

1............ Short title............................................................................................ 1

2............ Commencement.................................................................................. 1

3............ Schedule(s).......................................................................................... 2

Schedule 1—Safeguards against imported bovine spongiform encephelopathy     3

Imported Food Control Act 1992                                                                             3

A Bill for an Act to protect consumers against the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy being present in imported meat

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

                   This Act may be cited as the Imported Food Control Amendment (Bovine Meat) Act 2010.

2  Commencement

                   This Act commences on the day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

3  Schedule(s)

                   Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Safeguards against imported bovine spongiform encephelopathy

Imported Food Control Act 1992

1  Section 2A

Delete “and the requirements of public health and safety” substitute, “, the requirements of public health and safety, and informing consumers’ decisions where they purchase imported food”.

2  Section 3

Insert:

                   BSE means bovine spongiform encephelopathy.

3  After subsection 8A(1)

Insert:

          (1A)  For imported bovine meat, or imported food including bovine meat, the food labelling standards in section (1) include:

                     (a)  the country or countries of origin of the meat; and

                     (b)  the last recorded case of BSE in the country or countries of origin.

4  After subsection 11(1)

Insert:

          (1A)  A food control certificate cannot be made for imported bovine meat, or imported food including bovine meat, unless the relevant authorised officer is satisfied that the country or countries of origin have a cattle identification and tracing system that:

                     (a)  is reliable; and

                     (b)  tracks cattle from birth to slaughter; and

                     (c)  generates data on the location of other cattle with which a particular animal has been in contact.

5  After subsection 35A(2)

Insert:

          (2A)  A compliance agreement cannot be made for imported bovine meat, or imported food including bovine meat, unless the Secretary is satisfied that the country or countries of origin have a cattle identification and tracing system that:

                     (a)  is reliable; and

                     (b)  tracks cattle from birth to slaughter; and

                     (c)  generates data on the location of other cattle with which a particular animal has been in contact.