A detector dog at Darwin International Airport sniffed out a McDonald’s breakfast concealed in the bag of an Australian passenger returning home from Bali. The passenger was issued a fine of $2664 due to the incident.
A penalty will be imposed on those who import meat and dairy products without declaring them as part of the active biosecurity measures designed to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) into the country.
To mitigate the threat to the nation’s biosecurity, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry is taking various preventative measures, one of which is barring certain food groups from entering the country.
He was issued a “12-unit infringement notice for failing to declare potential high biosecurity risk items and providing a false and misleading document”.
“Biosecurity is no joke—it helps protect jobs, our farms, food and supports the economy. Passengers who choose to travel need to make sure they are fulfilling the conditions to enter Australia, by following all biosecurity measures,” Watt said.
On July 5, Indonesian officials reported that an FMD outbreak in cattle had been verified by authorities. As a result, they are exercising increased caution at the border with Australia, which does not have an FMD epidemic.
According to the department’s statement, the disease “can survive in meat and dairy products even if they are frozen, chilled, or freeze-dried,” all of which are common food preservation methods.