FORGET cold medicine – flying squirrel poo could be just what the doctor ordered this winter.
Quarantine officials have given the green light to therapeutic poo imports, meaning animal dung could be coming to a shop near you.
Certain types of droppings have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, although their importation has been banned under Australia’s tough quarantine laws.
But that changed this week, with officials altering the rules for medicinal and therapeutic products containing animal excrement.
To ensure there is no risk to our biosecurity, any dung-containing imports will be blasted with gamma radiation once they reach our shores.
Chinese Medicine Industry Council of Australia president Max Ma admitted the use of animal droppings was rare, with silkworm and flying squirrel droppings the only two regularly used.
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