<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thankyou for the many people who gave useful and mainly encouraging advice on this (see below). 

I am now reasonabaly confident that, having contacted Australian Customs (see below) http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=4491 and armed with a doctor's letter, our sealed non-meat/ dairy/ veg /fruit /egg bread, crackers, pasta will get in via the Red Channel.

As well as the obvious advice of contacting the various Australian coeliac Society  http://www.coeliac.org.au/ there is also a useful list of some common ingredients here:http://www.glutenfreeandeasy.com/Active/ingredients.html

Incidentally if anyone can recommend any (fairly available) Australian GF soya (Tamari) and chilli sauces and French style mustard our BBQs will be perfect!

Charlotte

Oxford, UK

    Dear Charlotte,

Thanks for this e-mail. As these items are on prescription, a letter from your GP is essential. I have forwarded your query to a Quarantine Officer to confirm you wouldn't have any problem in bringing these food into Australia. These food items have to be declared on your Incoming passenger card - Australia at Question 6.

Regards, Rene Villamin, Senior Information Officer,Customs Information & Support Centre,Australian Customs Service, Ph. 1300 363 263,Fax. (02) 9213 4043 

For more information on Customs refer to:  www.customs.gov.au

    Thankyou for your email regarding the importation of gluten free food for your son. In general these food items (bread, crackers, pizza bases and pasta) will be allowed into Australia.  Goods being sealed or commercially packaged doesn't neccesarilly mean they are allowed into the country. The most common ingredients that we have restrictions on are: eggs, meat and dairy products. The following is an extract from our Import condition database which covers cakes, bread and biscuits. A link to the commodity database can be found below. I hope this information is satisfactory, Kind regards, Paul Clarke, Quarantine Officer ,Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport.  Import Conditions Search http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_querycontent.asp

     l have been to Australia in April and l had the same doubts u have about aussie customs, so l contacted them and l was told l can take cookies, bread, snacks, pasta and that sort of things. U cannot bring fruit, vegetable,  meat, seeds, cheese. So  l did so and on the plane l declared on the green paper that l was bringing with me GF cookies and crackers for dietary needs and l went to the red customs. There l was asked what l had in my luggage, l replied, l was asked again if l had vegetable or fruit , l said no and that was it. They did not check my suitcase, l didnt even have to open it and actually the red line customs was way easier and quicker than the green line one that u follow when u have nothing to declare. I was out of the airport 15 minutes or so before my parents who had nothing to declare.  I also wanted to tell that GF food is available almost everywhere, in every supermarket and even in smaller food stores. I found OZ very celiac-friendly and l suggest u contact the NSW celiac association cos they have a list of GF restaurants, bakeries and cafes.

    You do not need to notify anyone or have any notes.  I travel from Vancouver BC to Sydney or Melbourne with those food products with no problem and no one has bothered me - same as coming into the USA.  Just do not bring any fruit products into AU - those are banned.

   We just returned a few weeks ago from Australia.  We also were there for three weeks.  I took food into the country and the only thing they nabbed was some dried banana chips in customs.  Avoid or eat 

up any dried fruit...and obviously no fresh fruit.  Eating GF in Australia is  harder than I thought.  If you can get a copy of an orange little booklet from one of the Celiac socieites, it will be very useful.  They list most of the common  additives in processed food and whether or not they are considered GF.  

.Also, if you get to Melboune, you must try a meal at the Silly Yak cafe.  Rosemay is delightful and very encouraging.  

     GF food is very readily available all over Australia - major supermarkets in capital cities have GF bread 3 times a week - in rural areas usually once a week (it is delivered frozen in the country areas).  In addition, the labelling laws in Australia make it very very plain what is included in the ingredients of a product - ANYTHING containing an allergen grain MUST be declared on the label even if they are claiming it to be GF(ie less than 20 ppm).There are now many types of GF biscuits, cereals, muesli etc available throughout the country.  Restaurants will usually bend over backwards to accomodate your requirements. That said - as to what you can bring with you - I believe it is basically only what you can carry with you on board - if you have to start packing seperate cases of food expect to have them either confiscated or taxed as a commercial quantity import.  And make sure you check, check, check and double check with your airline re GF meals - and pray that you are not flying with QANTAS or British Airways - my last flight with them - no GF meal between Sydney and Singapore (an 8 hour leg) on the outbound leg (despite checking when I checked my baggage in) and, again despite checking at Amsterdam and Heathrow on the way back -no meals at all between London and Singapore (a 12 hour leg).  Their response - 'Eat what you are provided sir - it is, after all, only a faddiet....'

     Possibly the most popular GF bread in SE Australia Country life and they have a website http://www.countrylifebakery.com.au/bakery/special.htm

    I brought bread and crackers with me.  I declared them and said I needed them because I have Celiac Disease, and in I went.  No problem at all. Just pack them in your carry on - with your Dr. letter.  If questioned, show the letter.  If not-forget it.   If they want you to ditch them just explain.  I took just peanut butter and crackers for the flight along with the baby bell cheese

     We went to Australia, flew into Sydney both times, in Aug 2002 and Aug 2003.  The first year they took some of our items upon arrival.  The second year we did fine - once we learned the only rule:NO MEAT Products whatsoever, even if they were precooked and dehydrated or vacuum sealed.  So we lost some pepperoni and some GF special meals.  There was NO problem with bread, cookies, pasta, etc.  It is fairly easy to find stuff over there.  I am also dairy intolerant, but every little town we drove through, in their little supermarkets, had at least on packaged lunch meat, crackers and cookies that we could safely eat.  And the labels are better.

     You do not need to notify anyone or have any notes.  I travel from Vancouver BC to Sydney or Melbourne with those food products with no problem and no one has bothered me - same as coming into the USA.  Just do not bring any fruit products into AU - those are banned.

    Australia has reasonably stringent food import regulations, but i would imagine it would be no different for me traveling to the US.....I also have another suggestion. My wife and I run a gluten free food service in Aus.  We have over 160 items from over 35 manufactuers - and all are 100% gluten free, and we ship anywhere in Aus.  We have some customers that live in the US and holiday in Aus.  Well, they send us their order and we ship to their holiday destination(s).  It seems to work for them very well.Just let us know, and we would be more than happy to help in any way we can.You can see our full catalogue online at www.glutenfreefavourites.com.au .  We have also sent sample boxes to people in the US too.  Anyhow, I hope this helps, and kind regards, Luke Potter, Director, Gluten Free Favourites Pty Ltd

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