In Australia, red meat products for human consumption are produced according to The Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption  (AS4696:2002) (The Standard). The standard has been approved by the Meat Standards Committee, a body comprising relevant Federal and State Government representatives, and harmonises standards for the production and transportation of meat and meat products. The newly drafted Export Meat Orders (EMOs) refer to the standard, which will underpin export as well as domestic meat production in Australia.

Essential health and hygiene issues are the focus, which is consistent with international standards contained in the Codex Alimentarius . The aim of the standard is to ensure meat produced in Australia is safe and wholesome. The responsibility for primary production standards has recently moved to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), a statutory authority formed under the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, responsible for developing food standards in Australia.

The standard places emphasis on achieving meat safety results or ‘outcomes’ through Quality Assurance (QA) arrangements incorporating a HACCP-based approach. It is considered that quality assurance systems based on HACCP principles, supported by effective on-farm and transport controls and combined with consumer education, offer the best way to consistently achieve a safe meat supply.

The introduction of the standard means that all meat produced in Australia will be potentially eligible for both export and domestic markets. In the division of the roles of industry and government, compliance with the standard is the responsibility of the meat industry while the role of government is to monitor and verify industry compliance and to ensure that industry meets its responsibilities prior to certifying the product as fit for human consumption.

Meat inspection services at non-Commonwealth inspected meat establishments are the responsibility of the relevant State or Territory Government.

Meat inspection at Commonwealth-inspected establishments is conducted or overseen by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), a business group within the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Additional requirements set by overseas governments for access to their individual markets are not covered in the standard and are dealt with under Commonwealth legislation dealing with export certification such as the EMOs.