This week viral fragments of FMD were detected in cooked pork products in the Melbourne central business district.

However, it's not the first time.

Viral fragments of the disease in food products were also detected in this country in 2019 twice and once in 2021.

NSW Farmers Bio-security chairman Ian McColl told The Rural much of the media spotlight has been on passengers returning to Australia by plane and the imminent risk. He said we must not neglect products that enter Australia by mail, or sea.

"Many products are mailed from overseas," he said.

Mr McColl said keeping FMD out of Australia was a community effort.

"Clearly we are not going to be able to inspect every person, or every mail (item)," he said.

"We are asking for greater levels inspection and for people to do the right thing and declare goods," he said.

The imminent threat has also brought mandatory electronic tagging of sheep and goats to the fore.

"Our (NSW Farmers) members voted to provide in principle support for the development of a national individual traceability system for sheep," Mr McColl said.

"Traceability reforms must ensure that the costs are effectively shared throughout the supply chain and with government."

Mr McColl said outbreaks of both Lumpy Skin Disease and Foot and Mouth Disease in Indonesia had created an increased risk of a severe biosecurity incursion in Australia.

Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) modelling projected a widespread FMD outbreak in Australia would have an estimated direct economic impact of around $80 billion.

"In the event of a biosecurity disaster such as an FMD outbreak, effective tracking would enable authorities to enact preventive measures promptly and minimise an outbreak," Mr McColl said.

Meanwhile an agricultural industry forum, addressed by Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, heard that cases of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Indonesia were rising fast.

The forum comes on the back of a detection of FMD fragments in processed meat products in Victoria.

Mr Watt said during routine retail surveillance exercises FMD and African Swine Fever viral fragments were detected in in a small number of pork products for sale in the Melbourne central business district.

He said the products were imported from China.

Mr Watt said he wanted to emphasis that this did not pose a threat to human health, and importantly Australia does remain FMD free.

Meanwhile foot mats in international airports the latest measure to be introduced. Australia's biosecurity measures have been ramped up over several months in response to the Indonesian outbreak, with a $14 million biosecurity package announced to deliver more front-line defences in airports and mail centres.

Travellers arriving in Australia from Indonesia will be asked to walk across the mats to sanitise the soles of their shoes.

The mats will contain a citric acid solution, designed to dislodge any dirt from the sole of the shoe and cover it in the acid. Travellers will still be asked to declare their contact with farms and livestock, and those with visibly contaminated shoes will continue to be taken to the biosecurity area.

An urgent recall has been issued for all Bake Porks (Grilled pork floss). The product was available for sale at Asian food retailers across Victoria.

Viral fragments of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and African swine fever (ASF) viruses have been detected in this product.

There are no human health implications with consuming this product. However, do not expose or feed this product to livestock or other animals under any circumstances.

Photos of Bake Porks (Grilled pork floss) in its packaging. Country of origin: China

The department has removed all Bake Pork products from these Asian retail outlets.

This product must be returned to the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry if it has not already been consumed. Do not dispose of it in a rubbish or compost bin.

You can return the product in person or by post to: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Customs House Corner Grant & Centre Road Melbourne Airport VIC 3045 Phone: (03) 8318 6700

The statement regarding the interception of items containing fragments of Foot and Mouth Disease brings home the urgent need to ramp up the resourcing of Australia's biosecurity systems and implement 100 per cent screening of passengers returning from high-risk areas.

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries today advised items containing FMD fragments were identified in a pork product in a Melbourne store, as well as a passenger with a beef product in their luggage at an airport.

This is an example of the system working, and items containing FMD fragments have been seized at the border previously. While farmers are relieved these items were detected by the relevant systems, maintaining our disease-free status, it shows the need to continually ramp up the resourcing of Australia's biosecurity systems and our at-border measures.

The identification of FMD fragments in 'pork floss' in a retail setting in a major city is highly concerning. It is understood it can not be confirmed this product adequately complied with import requirements designed to address biosecurity risks.

While our system worked by picking this up, we must throw the book at those responsible if it is found that requirements were deliberately subverted and review the relevant high-risk pathways for any other examples of non-compliance.

The news FMD fragments were detected on a beef product in a traveller's luggage demonstrates the urgent need to implement the screening of every single passenger returning from high-risk areas.

We also want to see more front-line biosecurity officers, and constant review of physical and technological screening methods.

While the system worked in identifying the traveller as high risk, it is understood the returning passenger did not declare their product until questioned by border staff.

This is why we need to implement screening - including individual questioning and luggage check - of all travellers from high-risk areas, both at our airports and ports. We must also continually improve our communication methods to ensure all travellers know the importance of following the rules - and the consequences if they do not.

We welcome today's announcement of foot mats containing a citric acid solution, designed to dislodge dirt from the sole of the shoe and cover it in the-acid. We have called for this and acknowledge the Governments response, but more has to be done.

In addition to these immediate at-border measures, we have long-called for long term sustainable biosecurity funding streams to better resource our excellent front-line staff and systems, as well as the finalisation of the National Biosecurity Strategy. The risks we face today demonstrate why.

The system worked - but we must resource it to ensure it continues to do so into the future.