G/SPS/N/AUS/315/Add.1
10 November 2014 
(14-6576)  Page: 1/2
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English
 
  NOTIFICATION 
Addendum 
The following communication, received on 10 November 2014, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Australia. 
 
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 Gamma irradiation as a treatment to address pathogens of animal biosecurity concern 
The Department of Agriculture has finalized the review of gamma irradiation as a treatment to 
address pathogens of animal biosecurity concern. A draft review was issued on 30 January 2013 
for a 60-day consultation period, which closed on 30 March 2013 (Biosecurity Advice 2013/04). 
The review relates to animal pathogens, and not human food or plants. The main objective of the 
review was to assess current scientific information and where appropriate, recommend a more 
flexible approach to levels of gamma irradiation needed to inactivate specific bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens, and parasites of animal biosecurit y concern. It does not specifically deal with 
irradiation treatment to address human health or food safety risks.  
Stakeholder comments were received from three business entities.  The issues raised include: - Clarification of the process involved in determining the irradiation dose for products; 
- Clarification on how the risk assessment of the product takes into consideration a variable like 
country of origin, or the prior-treatment of  goods in determining the dose required; 
- Clarification on how D37 is used to determine the bio-burden in a product; 
- How the department communicates with importers to determine what import conditions are 
required for commodities from a specific country; 
- How the bio-burden of the product be estimated to calculate the dose required; 
- Expectation that irradiation levels higher than 50kgy will not be required, and 
- Lack of data for Brucella, Mycoplasma and Leptospira. The department considered all of the stakeholde r comments and the following changes were made 
to the final review: 
- A new Chapter 5 to clarify how the required irradiation dose for various products is 
determined; 
- Clarification on technical issues such as D37 , bio-burden was added to relevant sections of 
the final review, and  
- An additional literature review was undertaken on Brucella, Mycoplasma and Leptospira 
conducted and added to the relevant sections. 
The final review is available at: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/Sit eCollectionDocuments/ba/memo
s/2014/gamma-irradiation-review.pdf  G/SPS/N/AUS/315/Add.1 
 
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  This addendum concerns a: 
[ ] Modification of final date for comments 
[X] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation 
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of  previously notified draft regulation 
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation 
[ ] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force 
[ ] Other:   
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified 
measure in terms of products and/or potent ially affected Members, a new deadline for 
receipt of comments should be provided, norm ally of at least 60 calendar days. Under 
other circumstances, such as extension of or iginally announced final date for comments, 
the comment period provided in the addendum may vary.)  
[] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) :  
Agency or authority designated to handle co mments: [X] National Notification Authority, 
[X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of 
other body: 
The Australian SPS Notification Point 
GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia 
Fax: +(61 2) 6272 3678 
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au  
Text(s) available from: [X] National Notificati on Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e-mail addre ss (if available) of other body: 
The Australian SPS Notification Point 
GPO Box 858 
Canberra ACT 2601 
Australia Fax: +(61 2) 6272 3678 E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au   
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