Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products

This Standard will ensure that meat and meat products for human consumption comply with food safety requirements and are either wholesome or are removed from the food chain and dealt with separately.

It recognises that food safety risks extend through the entire food preparation chain and are not confined to the preparation, handling and storage of end products.

The objectives covered include the need for systems to be in place for the accurate identification, traceability, effective recall of meat and meat products.

Animal welfare objectives are also included where they impact on food safety and on public expectations as to wholesomeness.

The Standard sets out the outcomes required for the receipt and slaughter of animals, the dressing of carcases, the processing (including further processing), packaging, handling and storage of meat or meat products whether for domestic use or for export.

It consolidates, in the one Standard, rules for the construction of premises and transportation of meat and meat products and is broad enough to apply to retailers who store or prepare meat and meat products and to their transportation from the retailer to the consumer.

This Standard has been approved by the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (ANZFRMC) and supersedes Primary Industries Report Series 80 Standard AS 4696:2002