Is shilajit legal in Australia?

Shilajit resin is widely sold in Australia, but the rules around it are less simple than they look. This guide summarises how the main regulators approach it. It is general information based on public sources and is not legal advice.

Is shilajit a scheduled poison?

No. A search of the Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard) instrument in force in early 2026 found no mention of shilajit, mineral pitch, asphaltum, fulvic acid or humic acid. The Poisons Standard is updated several times a year, so check the current edition on the TGA website.

Is shilajit a food or a therapeutic good?

It depends on how it is presented. Under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, goods are therapeutic goods if they are represented, or likely to be taken, to be for therapeutic use. The TGA's own guidance says the classification of an oral product depends on what is in it, the health claims it makes and how it is labelled and advertised.

In practice:

• A product sold with no health or therapeutic claims is more likely to be treated as a food or a general wellness product, although shilajit has no tradition of use as a food in Australia, so its status is not completely settled.
• A product marketed with claims to treat, prevent or influence a health condition or physiological process can be treated as a therapeutic good. Therapeutic goods generally need to be on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and must comply with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code.

This is why many Australian brands, including ShilNepal, describe shilajit as "a traditional mineral resin, not a medicine".

What are sellers allowed to claim?

If a product is a therapeutic good, advertising must be accurate, balanced, substantiated and consistent with the product's ARTG entry. Claims about serious conditions are restricted. Regardless of classification, the Australian Consumer Law prohibits misleading or deceptive conduct. If you see a brand promising to cure, treat or reverse conditions, treat it as a red flag.

Food Standards Code

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code sets no specific maximum levels for shilajit. Where a product is treated as a food, health claims must comply with Standard 1.2.7. Brands use the closest published benchmarks for heavy metals when they publish lab results. See shilajit heavy metals.

Importing shilajit

Biosecurity import conditions are administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry through its BICON system. Searches of BICON return cases that match shilajit, including one for dietary supplements and natural medicines of plant origin. Conditions vary by how a product is classified and presented, and whether shilajit counts as plant origin is not clear-cut, so businesses importing it should confirm directly with DAFF. Travellers bringing small amounts home should check current rules before they go.

What this means for buyers

• Buying from an Australian seller that ships domestically is lawful and straightforward.
• Treat dramatic health claims as a warning sign.
• Look for evidence you can verify: origin, batch number and lab report. See how to identify real shilajit.
• If you have a medical condition or take medicines, speak to a doctor or pharmacist.