Exporters should be aware that Egyptian authorities are re-testing dairy shipments on arrival and may experience delays.

Ships stores

Export certification is not issued for ships stores as the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021 do not apply. Ships stores are milk and milk products on ships or aircraft for the use of passengers and crew or for the service of the ships or aircraft on a voyage from Australia.

There are no known products that are prohibited for export to this market.

Milk and milk products of bovine origin are defined as prescribed goods under the Export Control Act. Production of these products for export is regulated under the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Milk and milk products manufactured from non-bovine species, for example buffalo, goat and sheep, may also need to be regulated through the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021, though this is only required when export registration and health certification from the Department is required by Egypt.

We are not aware that Egypt has any known additional requirements for the production and export of non-bovine milk and milk products.

Unless technical products and pharmaceutical material are prepared at an establishment that produces milk and milk products for export as food, these products are non-prescribed goods. They are not regulated by the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Unless animal food is prepared at an establishment that produces milk and milk products for export as food, these products are non-prescribed goods.

In accordance with the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021, animal food must be clearly identified as animal food and not for human consumption. It must also be segregated from and not contaminate milk and milk products that are for human consumption.

Egypt has no known additional requirements for Manufacturing Grade milk and milk products that differ from the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Manufacturing Grade products are defined in the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Egypt has no known additional requirements for microbial sampling of milk and milk products that differ from those required in the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Egypt residue standards

Maximum residue limits (MRLs) or import tolerances for residues of specific agricultural and veterinary chemicals approved for use in Australia may not exist in Egypt or may be established at levels lower than those established in Australia. Maximum Limits (MLs) for contaminants may also vary between Egypt and Australia.

Food business operators should note that:

• These differences can be interrogated case-by-case by considering the Egypt ​standards and the Australian standards.
• Any detection of a residue above the Egypt MRLs/MLs (as applicable) at the border may result in rejection of the consignment.

Note

Importing country residue standards can usually be found via the official webpages of their competent authority. Links to a limited number of export markets and Australia are provided on the DAFF website.

Egypt has no known additional requirements for general operations that differ from those required in the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Egypt has no known additional hygiene requirements that differ from those required in the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Milk and milk products that are prescribed under Australia's export rule

1. are milk or milk products derived from a bovine animal; and
2. are intended to be exported as food.

Milk and milk products that are not prescribed under Australia's export rules

Milk and milk products which do not meet the criteria under the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021 are classified by Australia as non-prescribed goods. It is the responsibility of the exporter to confirm with Egypt if there are any specific requirements for the import of these products. Typically, non-prescribed goods include, ice-cream, non-bovine milk products, colostrum and products with a minor component of dairy.

Further information on exporting non-prescribed goods from Australia is available on the Department's website.

In some cases, an importing country requires specific health certification and government oversight for what would typically be non-prescribed milk and milk products. When required, these products become prescribed under export legislation and must meet all export and importing country requirements. This includes the products being manufactured and stored at an export registered establishment and must have a valid export permit and health certificate for each consignment. Guidance on export registration can be found at Dairy export registered establishments.

5.1.1 Health certificates for milk and milk products

For milk and milk products produced for human consumption (including milk and milk products classified as a prescribed good by an importing Country), use health certificate template ZD035.

ZD035 dairy health certificate

The ZD035 certificate contains the following attestations:

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge the conditions or restrictions applicable under the particular inspection system prescribed under the Export Control Act have been complied with in respect of the prescribed good described above, being goods that are:

1. In sound condition
2. Fit for human consumption
3. Of Australian origin.

Endorsement 367 – Dairy – Egypt disease and contaminants statement

Milk used in these products has been pasteurised or thermally treated at pasteurisation temperatures at least in accordance with international methods, and is free of hormones, drugs, insecticides, heavy metals and poison.

Animals from which these products were taken were free from clinical diseases caused by the agents listed in the Office International des Epizooties List A for the species concerned, and live in an area free of these diseases. I further certify that Foot and Mouth Disease, Rinderpest and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy do not exist in Australia.

Optional endorsement 368 – Dairy – Egypt disease, radioactivity and contaminants

Milk used in these products has been pasteurised or thermally treated at pasteurisation temperatures at least in accordance with international methods, and is free of hormones, drugs, insecticides, heavy metals and poison.

Animals from which these products were taken were free from clinical diseases caused by the agents listed in the Office International des Epizooties List A for the species concerned, and live in an area free of these diseases. I further certify that Foot and Mouth Disease, Rinderpest and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy do not exist in Australia.

1. Routine fallout monitoring has been undertaken in all Australian states since the mid-1950's. Following the cessation of French atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific in 1974, fallout deposits decreased rapidly until present, where levels are at or below the minimum detectable,
2. Monitoring since Chernobyl has shown no increase in fallout deposits and indications are that all fallout has now occurred and there will be no change, and
3. Extensive testing since the Chernobyl accident of all agricultural products (including the dairy products listed above) exported from Australia confirms that the radioactivity levels are negligible and therefore significantly less than 50 becquerels per kilogram measured as Caesium 134 and Caesium 137.

Halal certification

Egypt has established IS EG Halal as the sole halal certification body for all milk and milk products imported into Egypt (Ministerial Decree No. 35/2020). ​Egypt has notified the Department, IS EG Halal will commence charging for certification of milk and milk exports to Egypt from the 31 December 2024. Exporters should liaise with their importer to confirm halal certification requirements with IS EG Halal – including the payment of fees. Refer to MAA 2022-17, ​MAA 2022-04 and ​​​​MAA 2023-39​​ for more information.

Exporter declaration

Whenever export documentation is obtained, the exporter must provide a declaration stating that all the information provided in the permit is true and complete. They must also state that they are in possession of a declaration of compliance that:

1. applies to the milk and milk products
2. complies with the requirements of the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Transit certification requirements

Milk and milk products transiting the European Union or the United States may require transit documentation. These certificates are available as additional certificates through the EXDOC system. If the product is transiting the United States, standard certification is required and the exporter should contact the Department for advice on how this certification may be issued. If the product is transiting a European Union member state, see the particular European Union member state regarding the certificate template to select.

For manufacturing grade milk and milk products, use the ZD016 certificate as to condition for manufacturing grade products.

The ZD016 certificate as to condition contains the following attestations:

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge the conditions or restrictions applicable under the particular inspection system prescribed under the Export Control Act have been complied with in respect of the prescribed good described above, being goods that are:

1. In sound condition
2. Of Australian origin.
   

The ZD001 certificate as to condition may be issued for technical products and pharmaceutical material.

The ZD001 certificate contains the following attestations:

I certify to the best of my knowledge that the information on this form is true and correct in every particular details and that the product described above is of Australian origin and is acceptable for sale in Australia.

The ZD015 certificate as to condition for stockfood can be issued for stockfood made from milk and milk products.

The ZD015 certificate contains the following attestations:

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge the conditions or restrictions applicable under the particular inspection system prescribed under the Export Control Act have been complied with in respect of the prescribed good described above, being goods that are:

1. In sound condition
2. Of Australian origin

It is the responsibility of exporters to determine through their importers if export certification is required for consignments and trade samples that are less than 10 kilograms or 10 litres, as an export permit is not required.

The ZX01 certificate as to dioxin status of Australian dairy products is available on request.

European Union (EU) transit certificates are available for consignments transiting the EU. Refer to the EU documentation requirements for edible products for the reference numbers and attestations in these certificates.

Import conditions

Exporters should ensure that their importer complies with any requirements to obtain a permit for imports into Egypt.

Exporters and their importer(s) are required to register with Egypt's Advance Cargo Information (ACI) pre-clearance system – the Nafeza Customs Single Window System which facilitates consignment clearance at the port of entry.

The import process and responsibilities of commercial parties under the Nafeza system are as follows:

Egypt has no known specific requirements for packaging in addition to those provided in the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

For all halal certified milk and milk products, the IS EG halal mark and any specific IS EG Halal labelling requirements would need to be reflected on the packaging. Exporters should liaise with their importer to confirm details of IS EG halal labelling requirements. Refer to Halal Certification for further details on IS EG halal certification.

There are no other known specific requirements for labelling and packaging in addition to those provided in the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Egypt has no known specific requirements for shelf life restrictions other than those provided in the Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.

Egypt has no known specific requirements for shipping marks (port marks).