Meat Industry INSIGHTS Newsletter

971124 Australia meat plan needs more oversight - USDA

November 13, 1997

Washington - Australia's plan to give private meat firms the primary responsibility for inspecting their meat export products could be acceptable with more government supervision, the U.S. Agriculture Department said in a letter to Australian officials.

But for now, "the United States will not accept meat imported from Australian establishments" participating in a pilot program known as "Project 2," USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Thomas Billy said in the letter to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.

Although the United States is also implementing a new inspection system that gives individual meat processors much more responsibility for food safety, the Australian plan goes much too far in reducing federal oversight, Billy said.

"We will consider your proposal further if it is modified to provide a level of Federal oversight that is equivalent to that which will be employed by the United States," he said.

As one of Australia's largest export markets, the United State's decision represents a significant setback for the Project 2 pilot program. However, Australia will continue to be able ship government-inspected meat to the United States.

Paul Morris, Minister-Counsellor for Agriculture at the Australian Embassy here, said that Australia switched several years ago to a company-based inspection system at its domestic market meatpacking facilities.

Based on "strong evidence" that new system had significantly improved food safety, Australia proposed the trial program for its export meatworks, he said.

Of the more than 100 countries that import Australian meat, only the United States has declined to participate in the pilot program, Morris said.

The new system does rely on company employees to do most of the inspections, but it is a misrepresentation to say that the government plays no role in ensuring food safety, Morris said.

A full-time government veterninary officer supervises inspection operations at each plant, Morris said.

Companies are also required to develop legally-binding "quality assurance" plans for meat inspection. Those are subject to government approval and to penalities if spot checks determine they are not being carried out, he said.

Although disappointed with the U.S. decision, "we don't see this being dead at the moment," Morris said.

Australia's experience indicates that food safety improves "once the responsibility is placed back on the company employee," instead of government inspectors, Morris said.

However, USDA appears to have listened to U.S. consumer groups who complained that Australia's proposed export meat inspection was too risky, he said.

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