IMPORTS of chicken meat will be allowed into Australia from any country under new quarantine rules announced today.

Biosecurity Australia said imports would be allowed as long as measures are taken to reduce serious disease risks to very low levels.

It said several appeals against the findings of its final Import Risk Analysis released last October - on which today's decision was based _ had been dismissed by an independent appeals panel.

The IRA found there were nine diseases requiring quarantine action before imports could come in - Newcastle Disease, two strains of avian influenza, two strains of infectious bursal disease and four types of salmonella.

It said countries wanting to send chicken meat to Australia would have to demonstrate country or zone freedom from these diseases, or heat-treat the meat at prescribed temperatures for prescribed periods.

BA and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service will together ensure that exporting countries are able to properly certify product to Australia’s requirements, including inspection of export plants.