Viral fragments of foot and mouth disease have been found on a pork product in Australia, however, officials there and in New Zealand are stressing they are not infectious and cannot transfer live virus to an animal.
New Zealand has very strict rules around importing port and other meats, a biosecurity boss says. Photo: AFP
Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director general Stuart Anderson said he spoke with Australian counterparts who have confirmed no live foot-and-mouth disease virus has been found on food there.
He said it was not unusual for non-infectious viral fragments to be found in food.
"The product was an imported dried pork floss product that may have been illegally imported to Australia and was being recalled as a precaution for that reason. Any illegal product found in New Zealand would be destroyed."
As an extra precaution Biosecurity New Zealand will undertake market surveillance to double check product available here has been legally imported.
Anderson said there was no indication that there was a heightened risk to New Zealand.
"We have among the strictest import health standards and biosecurity settings in the world for pork and other meat products coming into New Zealand.
"Since FMD was found in Indonesia recently, we have stepped up our work at the border to prevent it arriving in New Zealand.
"Every passenger arrival card is examined and those from countries that have FMD (including Indonesia) are directed to a different process of questioning, baggage search and disinfection. This means that should passengers transit other airports, risks are still addressed.
"All mail products that come into New Zealand from Indonesia are X-rayed and checked by dogs. We risk assess and our quarantine officers are checking all cargo containers coming from Indonesia," Anderson said.
Both countries will be introducing disinfecting foot mats for those arriving from Indonesia to help ensure footwear is clean of the virus.
Officials would also be making stricter inspections of all shipping containers from Indonesia, he told Morning Report.
"Even prior to this Indonesia situation foot and mouth is right up there at the top of our list of biosecurity risks. So all the things we do at the border are focused at a very high level looking for a disease like foot and mouth."
The extra measures ensured that officials were doing everything possible to ensure it was kept out.
"Foot and mouth is right up there at the top of our list of biosecurity risks" - Biosecurity New Zealand's Stuart Anderson