Australia tightens food safety rules for Japanese melon imports

Japanese melon exporters will need to provide a recognised food safety management certificate for shipments to Australia from March 2027, according to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The change covers fresh whole melons as well as fresh or frozen ready-to-eat melon pieces. Australia lists honeydew, cantaloupe, oriental melon, piel de sapo and watermelon among the products covered by the measure.

At present, melons are treated as surveillance food in Australia. From March 2027, they will be classified as risk food because of potential food safety hazards linked to Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes

The required certificate must show that the producer operates a HACCP-based food safety management system covering both primary production and processing. It must also be issued by a certification body recognised by Australian authorities.

From March 2, 2027, importers will need to declare the certificate when lodging their import documentation. Melon consignments will also remain subject to inspection, label checks and analytical testing, with 5% of shipments referred for testing.

source and photo: maff.go.jp