Our System
Australia's meat safety system provides:
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a safe and traceable supply chain
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effective disease management
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and responsible chemical use
and ensures the safe and hygienic production of meat in Australia.
Integrity and traceability from paddock to plate is our promise to consumers. Stringent standards and systems, which operate under independently audited quality assurance programs, protect product integrity throughout the entire supply chain.
Australia has a widely accepted disease-free status. Processes and quarantine measures manage the potential impact of international and domestic disease developments on Australia's livestock and meat industries.
Australia's meat markets demand that Australian produce be free of unacceptable chemical residues. To ensure that Australian meat products are safe for human consumption, there are a series of Withholding Periods, Export Slaughter Intervals and Export Grazing Intervals in place.
Underpinning Australia’s commitment to meat safety are a number of stringent standards and systems which have been developed to protect Australia’s high red meat product standards.
These systems cover Australia’s entire production supply chain, from on farm and at the feedlot, at the saleyard, during transportation and during processing and distribution.
Australia’s meat safety systems ensure lifetime traceability of livestock, quality assurance, effective disease management, responsible chemical use, and the safety and hygiene of its red meat product.
These systems include strict and consistent auditing and quality assurance programs.
The Australian government and the red meat and livestock industry have established SAFEMEAT, a consultative partnership consisting of representatives from government and industry.
SAFEMEAT provides oversight and direction into a range of meat safety systems that are in place throughout the Australian production supply chain.
Australia’s red meat safety systems cover the entire production supply chain, from on farm and at the feedlot, at the saleyard, during transportation and during processing and distribution.
The Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program is the on-farm assurance program that underpins market access for Australian red meat.
The National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme (NFAS) is an independently audited quality assurance scheme for Australia’s feedlot industry.
Australia’s saleyards operate under the National Saleyard Quality Assurance (NSQA) program.
TruckSafe Animal Welfare is Australia’s audited quality assurance program for livestock transport.
The Australian government regulates the food industry so that food is safe to eat. The government works with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to develop our food regulatory system, which is enforced by state and territory governments and covers the processing and distribution of Australian red meat.
The Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN) is a nationally-agreed framework for the response to and management of emergency animal disease (EAD) incidents in Australia. AUSVETPLAN documents the roles, responsibilities, coordination arrangements, policies, strategies and procedures for the response to EAD incidents in Australia.