Two gates, not one
Imported food enters Australia through two gates. Biosecurity import conditions decide whether a product may come in at all and under what conditions; they apply to anything with dairy, nuts or dried fruit in it, which is most confectionery. The imported food inspection scheme then checks the food itself against the Food Standards Code. The importer deals with both; the supplier’s job is to send what both gates ask for, and to be honest about what is in the product.
Biosecurity: it starts with the dairy
Milk chocolate contains dairy, and dairy is where the conditions bite. The origin of the milk ingredients, how they were processed and where the product was made are what the importer checks against the conditions for the line before ordering. From our side that means our technical data sheet with the origin of the dairy ingredients. Dark chocolate, plain Turkish delight and sugared almonds carry fewer conditions; the check is still made per line, and lines that cannot meet the conditions are left out of the offer rather than argued about.
Inspection: the label and the data sheet
The inspection scheme looks at the label and can sample the food. The label follows the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code: ingredients with allergens declared in plain English, the nutrition information panel, metric net quantity, the country of origin statement for an imported food and the importer’s name and address. For lines in our standard packs we confirm what the export pack carries and what the importer adds; for private label we prepare the content. The Australian private label page goes through it.
Customs and documents
There is no free trade agreement between Australia and Türkiye; the offer states the tariff line for each product and what applies on the day, and nothing about duty is printed on this site. The document set is the commercial invoice, packing list per pallet, certificate of origin, analysis report and, for pistachio lines, an aflatoxin certificate, listed on the how we work page. Copies of our certificates are available on request.
The route and the reefer
Sea freight from Mersin to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Fremantle or Adelaide crosses the tropics in every season, so chocolate and chocolate-coated lines are quoted in a reefer year round. Dry lines, Turkish delight, sugared almonds and jellies, travel dry. Each line has its own pallet. The mixed-container page explains how the container is built.
What to send first
The product references, the quantity per line, the destination port and whether any line carries your own brand; say if the list must be halal-certified. The written offer follows within two working days, the certificate holder and the data sheet named per line, so the biosecurity check can start before the deposit. The Australia page lists what stays the same on every offer.
Does the producer need an Australian registration?
No. The importer holds the responsibility in Australia; we supply the data sheet with dairy origin, its certificates and lot traceability, named per line.
Which lines are easiest to bring in?
Lines without dairy carry fewer biosecurity conditions: plain Turkish delight, sugared almonds, dark chocolate. The check is still made per line.
Do I need to declare chocolate in Australia?
As a traveller, yes, food is declared on arrival. As an importer, the goods enter under the import conditions for each line and the imported food inspection scheme.
