MLA sponsors meat study program for UAE students

Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) sponsored the program in which the students studied the HALAL and meat safety programs, including Quality Assurance, and export documentation for meat products that are exported to the Middle East.

The program focuses on the integrity of HALAL meat from processing to its final destination. Students learn about audit programs to ensure compliance with the food programs at both State and National levels. They also studied the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) import food inspection requirements for meat and other food products, as well as the certification of product from Australia and the animal health traceback systems.

This has become a very important program for the Australian meat industry as it showcases the production of HALAL meat, and the quality assurance programs within the export meat processing industry, as well as safe food production within Australia.

The students visited the Institute of Veterinary and Medical Science (IMVS) and became involved in the analysis of food products and bacterial identification procedures in place in the event of a food poisoning outbreak.

T&R Pastoral, one of Australia's largest beef and mutton HALAL Meat processing plants, was also visited. The students observed HALAL slaughter, animal welfare procedures, sanitary dressing techniques, inspection methods, and AQIS monitoring and control methods that ensure safe food is produced for the domestic and export markets.

Students observed the Animal welfare procedures, from the sale of the animals at the Dublin Livestock Markets, to the final slaughter. Such procedures are taken very seriously in Australia to ensure that the animals are not mistreated.

Students studied the partnership arrangement between AQIS, Islamic Society, AUS-Meat and the meat producing company to ensure that the integrity of HALAL meat is not compromised from slaughter to final export. One student commented that he was happy with the HALAL programs that operated within Australia as "...I have seen it with my own eyes..". This level of confidence by the students is seen as a positive outcome for the program.

At the end of the program, UAE students expressed their gratitude to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) for sponsoring the program which was an opportunity for them to visit Australian meat industry facilities and learn about the rigid procedures adopted to guarantee that meat products exported to UAE and the Middle East observe the detailed specifications of the "halal" meat as prescribed by the Sahria law as well as of world-class quality standards.