Alarm over suspected illegal sales of imported peanuts

Australian biosecurity investigates suspected illegal sales of imported peanuts Wed 24 Jun 2026 at 7:19am In short: Authorities are investigating claims that imported raw peanuts are bypassing strict quarantine rules and being sold illegally. Peanut industry leaders say the suspected breaches expose the sector to potential diseases. What's next? The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry says it is taking the reports seriously. Australian biosecurity authorities are investigating claims that imported raw peanuts are bypassing strict quarantine rules and being sold illegally, directly to consumers. The allegations have sparked fears that exotic plant diseases could take hold in the country's peanut-growing regions. Under Australian law, imported raw peanuts must arrive with a phytosanitary certificate — an official document certifying the produce meets Australia's plant health requirements — or be processed at an approved facility before sale. Bypassing those requirements is illegal and industry figures say it risks introducing plant diseases not currently present in Australia. The alarm was raised by Sonie Crumpton, general manager of Crumpton Interstate, Australia's largest peanut processor and a major domestic grower based in Kingaroy. Mr Crumpton said customers in Sydney and Melbourne first alerted his staff in April to suspect peanut packets appearing in stores. He said testing was subsequently conducted on the products, with results indicating the peanuts were capable of germinating — suggesting they had not been processed. "We've been in it for four and five generations now and … I've never seen this before," he said. "This is the worst breach I've ever seen." The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) confirmed the matter was being assessed. Mr Crumpton said he believed the nuts were entering the country by the container load from China and Brazil, mainly through Melbourne, and being distributed nationally, including via online marketplaces. Kingaroy crop consultant and former peanut breeder Graeme Wright said the primary concern was the potential introduction of peanut smut disease. "If we ever got that disease here, it would be the end of the industry," Mr Wright said. Peanut smut is a soil-borne disease in South America that has significantly impacted the commercial peanut industry there. Mr Wright, who has worked in the industry for decades, said a bag of Chinese raw peanuts he bought from an Australian-based online marketplace looked suspect. He noted that a home gardener planting imported raw peanuts could inadvertently introduce the disease into the environment. The federal member for Maranoa, David Littleproud, said he raised the matter with Agriculture Minister Julie Collins more than a month ago but had received little response. He is calling on the minister to quarantine suspected non-compliant stock and compel importers to recall affected products. A DAFF spokesperson said it was reviewing the allegations. "We are taking this report seriously and will take strong enforcement action where non-compliance is identified," the spokesperson said. Importing raw peanuts into Australia without a biosecurity permit carries penalties of up to $1.65 million and 10 years' jail for individuals, or $8.25 million for businesses. Authorities can also pursue fines as a civil penalty without a criminal conviction.