Brisbane Market community invests in export security

Security for fresh produce headed to the export market via aviation has increased and businesses within the Brisbane Markets® have installed infrastructure to ensure exports can continue without a hitch.

Since 1 March 2019, the new Enhanced Air Cargo Examination (EACE) process has been in effect globally and brings all export air freight up to the standards applied to US-bound cargo, which has been in place since 2017.

For fresh produce, this involves using electronic metal detection or human intervention to examine the lowest level of consolidation, known as ‘piece-level examination’, prior to uplift on to aircraft. All products destined for export must be examined by a Registered Air Cargo Agent (RACA), unless they are being sent by a Known Consigner or an Accredited Air Cargo Agent (AACA) in which case
it is assumed that the cargo has already been examined on a piece-level.

As of 1 July, the only Regulated Air Cargo Agent based at the Brisbane Markets site is Lindsay Fresh Logistics. The approved
Known Consigners on site are Alfred E Chave Pty Ltd, A.S. Barr Group, and Global Fresh Australia Pty Ltd, trading as J.H. Leavy & Co. All involved have had to heighten their security, including installing physical locks, implementing staff protocols, applying for Air Security Identification Cards, and creating procedures to keep mainstream and secured produce separate. 

Both Alfred E Chave and J.H. Leavy use manual examination methods, while A.S. Barr and Lindsay Fresh Logistics have
installed electronic metal detectors. 

International Logistics Manager for J.H. Leavy, Justin Keir, said that educating staff and site visitors of the changes was the biggest challenge of becoming a Known Consigner. “Visitors now have to wait until they are attended to by an appropriate staff member, so we’ve had to train our staff to challenge people they see wandering around that aren’t a part of our organisation,” Mr Keir said.

Anthony Joseph, Export Director at Alfred E Chave, said the security program registration process was straightforward as Alfred E Chave already had the critical infrastructure in place to support the program and its requirements. “As a significant exporter out of Australia, it was critical we became a Known Consigner to ensure business continued as usual,” Mr Joseph said.

A.S Barr Group Principal, Joe Saina, said becoming involved in EACE was essential to providing services to their customers and involved considerable changes to their site security. “As an international logistic provider supporting other exporters both on and
off shore, we had to become a Known Consigner. It means that our overseas customers are able to contact growers to source produce and we can undertake the logistics of getting that produce from the grower to the customer,” Mr Saina said.

In expectation of these changes, Lindsay Fresh Logistics installed an ElectroMagnetic Inspection Scanner (EMIS) which provides automatic detection of detonators and electronic circuits from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), ammunition and weapons composed of metal. If found, the scanner provides both a visual and an audible alarm. 

The EMIS at Lindsay Fresh is large enough to examine pallets of cargo, currently height limited to 150cm, does not depend on visual interpretation by the operator, and will not damage perishable items. According to Glen Lindsay, CEO of Lindsay Fresh Logistics, his company made the large investment in infrastructure to increase public safety as well as to add value and services for
their customers. “With the implementation of EACE, nothing is transported overseas via air cargo without being metal and explosive
trace detected, it is now the international standard,” Mr Lindsay said.

“Without our RACA certification and the infrastructure we have implemented in association with it, Lindsay Fresh Logistics
wouldn’t have an export air division.”

Source : Fresh Source – https://brisbanemarkets.com.au/wp-content/uploads/docs/FS67_WINTER19.pdf

Photo courtesy of Lindsay Fresh – Piece-level examination: Lindsay Fresh – Logistics 2IC Export/Import Manager, Cameron Wallace, putting a pallet through

the Electro-Magnetic Inspection Scanner.