Australian Authorities Considers Food Ban to Prevent Foot and Mouth Disease

Passengers wait at the Qantas check in at Sydney International Airport in Sydney, Australia, on March 19, 2020. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Australian officials are considering the possibility of completely banning travellers from bringing food from Indonesia into the country amid increasing concerns about an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD).

Agriculture officials told a Senate inquiry into Australia’s response to the outbreak in Indonesia on Aug. 10 that it was feasible to implement a total ban if the situation worsened.