Australian officials are considering the possibility of completely banning travellers from bringing food from Indonesia into the country amid increasing concerns about an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD).
Agriculture officials told a Senate inquiry into Australia’s response to the outbreak in Indonesia on Aug. 10 that it was feasible to implement a total ban if the situation worsened.
At present, travellers arriving from Indonesia are already prohibited from bringing meat products into Australia. They also have to declare any food items in their luggage.
Speaking to the Senate inquiry, agriculture department secretary Andrew Metcalfe said the FMD situation was constantly changing….