INDUSTRY PROGRAMMES

Australian Pork Industry Quality (APIQ) Program - Ensuring the safety of Australian pigs

To ensure consumers of Australian pork are consistently presented with the highest quality pork, the industry has implemented the Australian Pork Industry Quality (APIQ) Program. The APIQ Program is based on the Australian Pork Industry Quality Standards (APIQS) which provides a framework to identify potential hazards occurring through the production process. The standards are based on current scientific knowledge, are reviewed regularly and then endorsed by the industry to ensure they are relevant to both the market and the industry.

The APIQ Program uses a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) System approach to ensure the standards are achieved. HACCP provides a scientifically based, systematic approach to identifying and minimising hazards that affect food quality and safety. The hazards may be biological, chemical, or physical factors that cause food to be unsafe for human consumption or substantially reduce its quality.

The program focuses on prevention rather than on end-product testing. Under the HACCP approach, producers closely examine their operation and determine how to control, eliminate or minimise hazards before they occur.

Australian Pork Export Quality (APEQ) Program

While the APIQ Program provides a ‘best practise’ quality framework for Australian pork producers, the Australian Pork Export Quality (APEQ) Program enables each supply chain company to monitor its own work practices and establish effective control mechanisms. This means food quality and safety can be assured in the period immediately after slaughter through to delivery to consumer. This is a new industry program and is a logical extension of the APIQ Program.

All abattoirs or boning rooms preparing product for export markets must be registered as such. A meat export licence is mandatory and the requirements of the state or territory in which the premises are situated must be complied with. A meat export license is issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (AFFA).

AQIS

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is a government entity, located within the AFFA portfolio and provides quarantine inspection services for the arrival in Australia of international passengers, cargo, mail, animals and plants or their products. In addition AQIS is responsible for the inspection and certification of a range of animal and plant products exported from Australia. AQIS’s role in abattoirs and boning rooms includes responsibility for health and hygiene inspection procedures, the description of basic meat categories, regulatory controls over the transfer and export of meat, and ensuring compulsory requirements of foreign governments are met.

AUS-MEAT

The Authority for the Uniform Specifications for Meat and Livestock (AUS-MEAT) has a role in developing and over seeing a uniform description language for meat and livestock and for supervising quality assurance programmes and product specification. Livestock slaughtering establishments which meet the prescribed standards are known as AUS-MEAT accredited abattoirs. Accredited establishments will be recognised for their correct use of the national language, maintaining a quality assurance programme, adherence to the Code of Practise for over the hooks trading and the appointment of AUS-MEAT Standards Officers.