Australian Export Meat Inspection System

MINTRAC – 31 March 2011

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History• 2004-2005 AMIC approached AQIS about reform

– Strategic Evaluation Group– PHI– Alternate inspection models– Risk based inspection

• Dec 2008 Gov’t accepted Beale – remove funding– No consultation

• Fees orders disallowed in the Senate– Small operators

• AMIC worked with all parties to get senate to rescind disallowance motion.– Funding Package– 7 point plan

• Legitimate cost of Government (Public Good)

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History• 12 models presented

– Problems with Fair Work Act & market access• MSEP the preferred route

– Moving feast• US approached about AAOs as “Officials”

– Held to 1999 Federal register Notice• MSEP + 1(FSMA)

– 2011 Federal Register Notice 4 March 2011• AQIS has approached other markets

– All accepting, all will audit• Malaysia audit last year• US audit last week• EU audit this week• Korea soon

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Currently

• AEMIS Implementation audits continuing• AMIC discussing with Minister what is Fee

for Service– Part of 7 point plan was an independent

review of the Legitimate Cost Of Government– Moving feast made it hard to finalise earlier

• Technical barriers to Trade (export and import)• Animal health surveillance• Marginal cost/gold plated methods• FSMA – 3 years

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Currently

• AMIC agreed to help with fee break-up after the cost of government review

• AMIC has provided all its information about the senate agreement for the Ministers consideration

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Roll Out timing

• Still aiming for 1 July 2010– Assistance ends– Current fees apply unless agreement is

reached

• Encouraging plants to keep preparing:– do AEMIS audits– Source AAos

• Train up (14 week from cert 2 to 3)• Recruit

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Philosophy

• MSEP– Integrate PM inspection into companies

QA system– AQIS verify performance

• AEMIS– AQIS maintain control of PM inspection

• Issue work PM instructions• Deed of Obligation

– AQIS verify performance

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• Animal health in Australia

• Approved Arrangements (HACCP, Integrity, AW)

• Meat microbiological and residue data

• Inspection

• Verification

• Process & Inspection

• Data and management

• Audit

Whole system approach

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• Official OIE freedom from key diseases– Foot and mouth disease, Rinderpest, Contagious

bovine pleuropneumonia, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Negligible Risk Category)

– Ongoing surveillance at Abattoirs to maintain status• Successful bovine brucellosis and Tb eradication

campaign –Government costs >$850,000,000–Declared free from bovine brucellosis in July 1989–Declared free from bovine Tb in December 1997–FSIS accepted revised TB procedures 2010

• Ongoing projects– C. Bovis, CLA, C. Ovis

National Herd Disease Status

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Microbiological Performance

Carcase E. coli Salmonella

Total # tests Av. prevalence %

Total # tests Av. prevalence %

Cattle (10 yrs) 241, 939 4.44 53, 657 0.23

Sheep (10 yrs) 221, 120 19.19 49, 099 0.48

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Commodity Group

Samples Collected

Number of analyses

Residues over MRL

Metals over ML

Cattle 5,732 85,848 2 1

Sheep 5,475 58,023 2 9

Other 4284 53374 6 1

Total 15,426 195,930 10 11National Residue Survey (NRS) monitoring results, meat products 2008/09

Residue Control• National Vendor Declarations• Verification

• NRS• Extended residue program – NLIS status• TART, START

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• Codex Code Of Hygienic Practice For Meat

– Risk based

– Whole of chain

– Including animal and human health surveillance

• Standards set by government

– Including hygiene and ante- and post-mortem

• Performance against the standards verified by government

• Government defines competence and role of inspectors and official (government) veterinarian

Inspection – International Standards

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AEMIS regulatory framework• A full time government (AQIS) veterinarian (OPV)Supported by• Government defined processes/standards

• Whole of chain risk assessment• Incidence of food borne disease• Incoming livestock• Process control• Inspection

• Government defined competencies• Government verification

AEMIS - Codex Compliance

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• Full time presence at abattoirs (tier 2)

Roles:

Inspection, Supervision, and Verification

• Ante-mortem inspection, dispositions and reporting

• Oversight of PM Inspection

• Post-mortem inspection dispositions

• Post-mortem verification

• Monitoring, verification and audit of company compliance

Government Veterinarian

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Full time government food safety meat assessors (FSMA)

• Qualifications – Certificate 4 in meat safety (national qualifications) and

– Food safety auditor competencies

• Roles– Undertake carcase by carcase assessment to identify gross food

safety pathology and obvious contamination

– Assist the government veterinarian with post-mortem verification on larger plants

– Work load assessment tool used as a guide

– Can be part time (daily or hourly)

• Pork Plants – still being discussed

Food Safety Meat Assessors

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Competencies

Certificate IV in meat processing (meat safety)

Control

Veterinary supervision

Public Service Act• Professional / ethical• Fit and proper

Verification

Veterinary oversight

Competencies

Certificate IV in meat processing (meat safety)

Control

Veterinary supervision

Deed of obligation• Professional / ethical• Fit and proper

Verification

Veterinary oversight

Post-mortem product verification

Post-mortem inspection process verification

Government (AQIS) Government (AQIS) meat inspectorsmeat inspectors

Government (AQIS) Government (AQIS) meat inspectorsmeat inspectors

AQIS Authorised Officers AQIS Authorised Officers (not employed by AQIS)(not employed by AQIS)

AQIS Authorised Officers AQIS Authorised Officers (not employed by AQIS)(not employed by AQIS)

Authorised under the Export Control Act,1982

Post Mortem Inspection - AAO

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Government veterinarian (OPV) • Single inspector chains verifies FSMA doing PM Inspection• Assisted by FSMA on the end of the chain on some (Medium)

plants• Assisted by roving FSMA on some larger plants (may be part

time) • ACPs can still be used – Further policy needs to be developedPost-mortem verification• General OPV oversight / supervision • OPV disposition of restricted slaughter carcases and other

carcases / parts as required– Product verification (inspected heads, viscera and carcases)

• must meet set standards • critical findings mean removal of authorised officer

– Process verification• correct post-mortem procedures are followed • critical findings mean removal of authorised officer

Post Mortem Verification

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Where verification identifies

• One (1) critical non-conformity or 1 serious procedural deficiency at any time or

• Three (3) minor non-conformities with the product standard or 3 minor deficiencies in the inspection procedure within 25 working days

– The person concerned shall be removed from the position and replaced with someone who is competent

Note: corrective action is implemented for each non-conformity

Post Mortem Verification

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PHPHII

Key Performance Indicators

Product Hygiene Index

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20

PHI Carcase Offal Boning room Packaged product

E coli TVCs coliforms

Per

form

anc

e

macroscopic assessment (carcases, meat)

microbiological assessment (plant, carcases, meat)

Illustr

ation only

Illustr

ation only

PHI reporting

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PHI Reporting and Analysis

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• Audit Management system – Establishment and national data

– Replacement for NEVs

• Audit outcomes

• PHI data and trends

• Post-mortem verification

• Reports by activity

• Reports of non-compliances

• Dashboard

Data Capture and Reporting

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Summary

• Change is coming– 1 July 2011

• Still are funding issues to resolve• Be prepared

– Get AAOs• Foreign Audits are coming