Date of issue: 27 March 2026
Date of effect: Immediate
Attention:
- Industries – Dairy Export Industry Consultative Committee
- Export registered dairy establishments
- Licensed exporters
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Central and regional offices
Purpose
To advise industry of updated load-out inspection requirements for prescribed dairy products exported to the European Union (EU).
Summary of Key Points
The department continues to conduct remote documentation audits to verify export eligibility for prescribed dairy consignments to the EU, including random audits conducted pre and post departure.
The number of consignments selected for documentation audits will remain at 5% of dairy consignments. Applicable fees will be charged to the exporter, consistent with previous load-out inspection arrangements. Please refer to the department's charging guidelines for further information.
All supporting information currently submitted with export permit applications for consignments remain required, including:
- Manufacturer's declaration of compliance identifying EU eligibility for each batch of dairy product being exported.
- National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) certification confirming compliance with EU microbiological requirements for each batch, where applicable.
- Completed EU eligibility checklist.
The department will contact exporters directly if their consignment is randomly selected for a documentation audit and request the following information:
- Copy of the loading sheet (packing information from despatching/packing establishment).
- Copy of the container checklist confirming the container is suitable for use.
- Photograph of the empty container.
- Photograph(s) of the packed container (doors open) showing each product type and batch, where applicable.
- Photograph of the closed container showing the container and seal number.
Please note the above documentation must be retained by the exporter and be readily available if requested. This is not a new requirement and should not impose an additional burden on exporters.
Background
There are specific requirements to support the eligibility of dairy products exported to the EU. Only departmental staff can authorise export permits to the EU, and approval is only granted when EU compliance is demonstrated.
The EU requires the department to undertake container load-out inspections to verify the effectiveness of establishment checks and the accuracy of information on health certificates.
These inspections are subject to a minimum of 5% of dairy consignments, selected on a random basis. Inspections verify the information recorded in the Request for Export (REX) against the product being exported. Applicable fees are charged to the exporter of the consignment.
Please refer to Micor for certification requirements.
An establishment's EU listing may be suspended or cancelled if:
- the establishment's Approved Arrangement (AA) does not clearly document EU requirements
- EU requirements are not being met
- there are insufficient records available to support EU eligibility.
Download EU Checklist
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