DAFF - IFN 12-25: Changes to clarify bivalve mollusc products

Effective: 10 December 2025

Attention

Importers of bivalve molluscs and bivalve mollusc products, and brokers acting on their behalf.

Purpose

To provide notice of changes to clarify what is classified as a bivalve mollusc product.

Key points

• A bivalve mollusc product is a food containing 50% or more bivalve mollusc meat (such as seafood mixes).
• The updated description of a 'bivalve mollusc product' provides clarity on the scope of certification requirements.
• Bivalve molluscs include clams (including ark shells), cockles, mussels, oysters, pipis and scallops.
• Consignments of bivalve molluscs and bivalve mollusc products must be imported from a country that has a foreign government certification arrangement with the department or is in the process of negotiating such an arrangement.

Instructions

Find out about lodging documents for imported bivalve molluscs.

Further information

• Learn more about the biosecurity conditions for importing bivalve molluscs in the biosecurity case in the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) under 'Seafood (excluding finfish) for human consumption'.
• Learn more about the analytical testing of bivalve molluscs in the food safety requirements case in the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) under 'Molluscs and mollusc products'.

Background

• Foreign government certificates are consignment specific and must be issued by the recognised competent authority. All consignments will be checked to verify the validity of the certificate.
• Consignments without a recognised government certificate will be directed for supervised re-export or supervised destruction at the importers expense.
• Consignments may also be referred to the Imported Food Inspection Scheme for analytical testing. During inspection we will also conduct a label and visual assessment.

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