Australia, the world’s largest beef exporter, currently supplies over 100 markets worldwide. Australia’s export focus is underpinned by its commitment to food safety, integrity and product quality required by our international customers.

Due to the natural quarantine effect of the six-month sea voyage from Great Britain to Australia, only healthy animals arrived to be the foundation stock of Australia’s vast cattle herd in the 18th century. Australia has an internationally recognised status of being free of the major diseases of livestock.

To maintain Australia’s high product standards, the Australian beef industry and all levels of government have worked together to develop standards and systems that underpin the integrity of the industry. These standards and systems are constantly under review to ensure they meet the requirements of our international customers.

When customers purchase beef products from Australia they are receiving product that is from one of the most strictly regulated meat industries in the world. Independently audited systems are in place from the animal production level throughout the chain including the transport, processing and marketing sectors.

Beef Traceability
Australia has been at the forefront of cattle traceability for over 40 years. The tail tag system was introduced in the late 1960’s and is based around a Property Identification Code (PIC) that identifies each land holding with an eight digit alphanumeric code, issued by State governments. Cattle raised on the land holding require a tail tag when they are sold, transfer ownership or move off the property.

The PIC also underpins other components of Australia’s integrated traceback system including the National Vendor Declaration (NVD) and the National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS).

NLIS is based around an electronic tag that stores the animal’s identification. The tag is with the animal for the whole of its life and can be read when the animal is sold or slaughtered.

On Plant Traceability
All export meat processing plants in Australia operate under the Export Control Act 1982. Under this Act, Export Meat Orders (EMOs) provide the detailed legislative requirements applying to export meat plants.

Export meat abattoirs have on site, a full time veterinary officer from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to ensure the legislation is being correctly implemented. AQIS is the Federal government agency responsible for meat hygiene, safety regulation and certification.

Quality Assurance (QA)
All sectors of Australia’s beef industry currently are able to implement systems that operate under an independently audited QA program.

Grassfed Animals
CATTLECARE is a quality assurance program started in 1994 that deals with grassfed cattle. CATTLECARE provides checks for everything from cattle handling to veterinary treatments ensuring the integrity of cattle presented for slaughter.

Processing
The Meat Safety Quality Assurance program (MSQA) is a meat safety monitoring system developed by AQIS. The MSQA program covers all export meat-processing plants. The program is based on world best practice HACCP and is consistent with the ISO 9002:1994 standard and the USDA “Mega-regs”. Australia mandated HACCP based quality assurance at all Australian abattoirs in 1997 and was the first country to mandate such an arrangement.

The MSQA program using HACCP principles is aimed at providing export meat establishments with a tool that will assist in the safe production of meat and meat products for human consumption.

Australia has been developing traceability systems for over 40 years, with an integrated traceability system from the farm until it reaches its destination.

Australia’s trading partners can continue to purchase Australian beef with complete confidence that they are consuming the safest and most reliable beef available.