Bringing food over the border
#1
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Bringing food over the border
no covid
not monkeypox
not foot and mouth disease
…but it was foot in mouth disease as folks from Indonesia came to Australia with McDs egg McMuffins that cost them over $2000 AUS in fines
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/p...age/index.html
not monkeypox
not foot and mouth disease
…but it was foot in mouth disease as folks from Indonesia came to Australia with McDs egg McMuffins that cost them over $2000 AUS in fines
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/p...age/index.html
#2
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Second big fine for food in the last few weeks...someone bought a subway on their trip, ate half and forgot to declare it. Same fine.
Think Aussie authorities are making a statement- make an example of a few people to put the fear of god in travelers?
Here it was-
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/sub...pore-australia
Subway picks up 180,000+ worth of advertising for 1800.
Think Maccas will do the same? (my guess no- its no longer clever)
Think Aussie authorities are making a statement- make an example of a few people to put the fear of god in travelers?
Here it was-
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/sub...pore-australia
Subway picks up 180,000+ worth of advertising for 1800.
Think Maccas will do the same? (my guess no- its no longer clever)
#3
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I’ll assume that food rules were mentioned on the plane. I definitely remember FAs telling people to not bring any food off the plane even if it we hadn’t opened it (eg banana). That’s a harsh financial fine. Not sure usa fee for this.
#4
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Chicken and eggs from the USA (many border states) currently not permitted due to bird flu into Canada . . . US doesn't permit citrus from Canada to the US, lots of rules. If you declare it - it's never a problem - they just take anything you're not allowed to have. But it's easier to check before. Australia is particularly strict and inspects a lot of inbound travelers for food.
#5
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Foot and mouth is the latest threat but Australia has (for a long time) a number of other concerns about crop diseases, livestock diseases, rabies and others. My gentle, honest colleague got stopped for not declaring commercially packaged tea from England. He hadn't declared it because he never equated tea bags with"food" and they let him go with a warning, but he could have been fined simply for the non-declaration.
What's really stupid about these two events (other than the people ignoring many many warnings not to bring in food) is that you can get Macca's and Subway anywhere in Australia. Sneaking in Grandma's special pork stew or exotic ingredients I can sort of understand, but fast food?
#6
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No. While there's a new incentive due to the threat of foot and mouth disease, Australian quarantine have been really strict for decades about any food or animal product brought in by anyone, not just "a few people". There are video warnings on aircraft inbound to Australia, questions on the arrival customs/border control form, and endless examples in those "Border Security" shows. All of them emphasize that there are very high fines.
Last edited by bensyd; Aug 2, 2022 at 12:09 am
#7
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The fines seem a bit excessive. I'm sure 2 penalty units ($448) would have done the trick. But they went for the absolute maximum they could as a strict liability offence. I kind of agree with Exec_Plat that they were trying to make an example of these travellers and get the story out there. Mission accomplished! And much cheaper than having to run an ad campaign so saved taxpayers a few shekels.
https://austorganic.com/dont-be-sorr...ecurity-goods/
From 1 January 2021, biosecurity officers will be able to issue infringement notices up to $2664 where travellers fail to declare potential high biosecurity risks (like uncanned meat or live plant material) when arriving at Australian international air and sea ports.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud, said the Biosecurity Amendment (Traveller Declarations and Other Measures) Bill 2020 was about protecting Australia.
...“Currently all infringement notices issued at first points of entry to Australia are for two penalty units ($444), regardless of the biosecurity risk posed by undeclared goods,” Minister Littleproud said.
“However, under the new legislation the Director of Biosecurity will be able to determine which goods or classes of goods pose a high level of biosecurity risk for the purpose of higher infringement notice amounts.
A list of the goods or classes of goods posing a high level of biosecurity risk at the Australian border that will attract a higher penalty amount will be published on the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment website (www.agriculture.gov.au) and on the Federal Register of Legislation (www.legislation.gov.au).
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud, said the Biosecurity Amendment (Traveller Declarations and Other Measures) Bill 2020 was about protecting Australia.
...“Currently all infringement notices issued at first points of entry to Australia are for two penalty units ($444), regardless of the biosecurity risk posed by undeclared goods,” Minister Littleproud said.
“However, under the new legislation the Director of Biosecurity will be able to determine which goods or classes of goods pose a high level of biosecurity risk for the purpose of higher infringement notice amounts.
A list of the goods or classes of goods posing a high level of biosecurity risk at the Australian border that will attract a higher penalty amount will be published on the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment website (www.agriculture.gov.au) and on the Federal Register of Legislation (www.legislation.gov.au).
This instrument lists classes of goods (called category 1 goods and category 2 goods) in relation to which the Director of Biosecurity is reasonably satisfied there is a high level of biosecurity risk. An infringement notice for an alleged contravention of certain provisions of the Biosecurity Act 2015 may state 12 penalty units if the contravention relates to category 1 goods and 6 penalty units if the contravention relates to category 2 goods (see subsection 524(4) of the Biosecurity Act 2015 and regulations made for the purpose of that subsection).
...
The following goods are listed as category 1 goods:
(a) live plants;
(b) whole unprocessed seeds;
(c) meat and meat products, except meat or meat products that have been retorted;
(d) prawns that are raw or partially raw (that is, not sufficiently cooked to coagulate all of the protein in the prawn meat);
(e) live animals, and the remains of animals that have died in transit before arriving in Australian territory or on arrival in Australian territory;
(f) eggs of a bird or reptile that are intended for hatching;
(g) veterinary vaccines.
The following goods are listed as category 2 goods:
(a) fresh fruit;
(b) fresh vegetables;
(c) fresh fungi;
(d) fresh leaves;
(e) fresh herbs.
...
The following goods are listed as category 1 goods:
(a) live plants;
(b) whole unprocessed seeds;
(c) meat and meat products, except meat or meat products that have been retorted;
(d) prawns that are raw or partially raw (that is, not sufficiently cooked to coagulate all of the protein in the prawn meat);
(e) live animals, and the remains of animals that have died in transit before arriving in Australian territory or on arrival in Australian territory;
(f) eggs of a bird or reptile that are intended for hatching;
(g) veterinary vaccines.
The following goods are listed as category 2 goods:
(a) fresh fruit;
(b) fresh vegetables;
(c) fresh fungi;
(d) fresh leaves;
(e) fresh herbs.
#8
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The solutions are simple. Don't go to Australia or if you do make damn sure you don't bring food. If you do bring food, get caught and are heavily fined don't whine about it. It's incumbent on the traveller to know what the rules are when entering a country.
#9
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And in fact, I've done this as the US border. I cooked myself a meal to take on board but forgot I had it in my rucksack. Got to the border and was asked if I had any fresh food items on me... which of course I did. I'd totally forgotten about it until asked, fortunately I declared it then and that was the end of it but, it could've gotten messy and now I am super scrupulous to avoid taking any kind of fresh food across any border.
Not that I would call McDonalds fresh food.
#10
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Agree totally.
And in fact, I've done this as the US border. I cooked myself a meal to take on board but forgot I had it in my rucksack. Got to the border and was asked if I had any fresh food items on me... which of course I did. I'd totally forgotten about it until asked, fortunately I declared it then and that was the end of it but, it could've gotten messy and now I am super scrupulous to avoid taking any kind of fresh food across any border.
Not that I would call McDonalds fresh food.
And in fact, I've done this as the US border. I cooked myself a meal to take on board but forgot I had it in my rucksack. Got to the border and was asked if I had any fresh food items on me... which of course I did. I'd totally forgotten about it until asked, fortunately I declared it then and that was the end of it but, it could've gotten messy and now I am super scrupulous to avoid taking any kind of fresh food across any border.
Not that I would call McDonalds fresh food.
thry coukd file a lawsuit claiming McDonald’s isn’t meat or vegetables….
#12
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And those cute beagles @ SCL don't miss much! At least LATAM typically shows a video shortly before landing that includes an agriculture admonition. SCL authorities once scolded me for not declaring permitted food (ground coffee) but no fine.
#13
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: California
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I was running clinical trials in Oz for a while. One study we would come BACK to the USA with human tissue samples. Funny there was NOT a check box on any of the forms for that.....
One one trip back into USA (not from Oz)- I KID YOU NOT- one of the roaming CBP agents that walk around the baggage claim walked up to a buddy and asked the usual: 'where ya coming from? What did you travel for? Coming back with any gifts? food?....any soylent green?"
(This is where time dilates, the room shrinks and expands....the blood rushes in your ears....midnight express flashes in your brain)
My buddy almost stroked out on the spot. He croaks "No...." He must have looked ill, as the agent says "hey man, just kidding with you.... Have a nice day"
One one trip back into USA (not from Oz)- I KID YOU NOT- one of the roaming CBP agents that walk around the baggage claim walked up to a buddy and asked the usual: 'where ya coming from? What did you travel for? Coming back with any gifts? food?....any soylent green?"
(This is where time dilates, the room shrinks and expands....the blood rushes in your ears....midnight express flashes in your brain)
My buddy almost stroked out on the spot. He croaks "No...." He must have looked ill, as the agent says "hey man, just kidding with you.... Have a nice day"
Last edited by Exec_Plat; Aug 3, 2022 at 7:29 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,918
What's really stupid about these two events (other than the people ignoring many many warnings not to bring in food) is that you can get Macca's and Subway anywhere in Australia. Sneaking in Grandma's special pork stew or exotic ingredients I can sort of understand, but fast food?