Proposed standard for meat processing - submissions invited

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for submissions on a proposed primary production and processing standard for meat.

The proposed standard provides a national ‘whole-of-chain’ approach to food safety regulation of meat products, FSANZ CEO Steve McCutcheon said.

“The standard recognises that existing state and territory laws already cover things such as animal feed and water, traceability and processing activities,” McCutcheon said.

“What the proposed new standard will do is bring all these things under the one umbrella so that, if there is a food incident, regulators will be better placed to investigate food safety matters through the entire meat supply chain.

“Having this ability provides the public and industry with assurance that the regulator can investigate, where appropriate, food safety matters at any point in the meat supply chain,” he said.

More information about the proposed standard is available here. FSANZ has compiled a list of Q&As for the standard, which is available here.

The closing date for submissions is 3 December 2013.

This information is reproduced with the kind permission of Food Standards Australia New Zealand.