Standard 4.2.3

PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING STANDARD FOR MEAT

(Australia only)

Purpose and commentary

Reserved

Table of Provisions

Division 1 – Preliminary

1 Interpretation

Division 2 – Primary production of meat

2 Definitions

2A Animals covered by this Division

2B Application of Division to retail sail activities

2C Inputs

2D Waste disposal

2E Traceability

Division 3 – Production of ready-to-eat meat

3 Interpretation

4 Requirements on producers of ready-to-eat meat

5 Additional requirements for uncooked comminuted fermented meat

Schedule Method for measuring pH

Clauses

Division 1 – Preliminary

1  Interpretation

(1) In this Standard –

meat product means a food containing no less than 300 g/kg of meat.

(2) Unless the contrary intention appears, the definitions in Chapter 3 of this Code apply for the purposes of this Standard.

Division 2 – Primary production of meat

2 Definitions

In this Division –

meat means any part of a slaughtered animal for human consumption.

meat producer means a business, enterprise or activity that involves the growing, supply or transportation of animals for human consumption.

2A Animals covered by this Division

(1) In this Division, a reference to an animal means an animal of a species listed in Column 2 of the Table.

(2) However, a reference to an animal does not include an animal of a species listed in Column 2 of the Table if that animal was slaughtered in the wild.

Table to clause 2A

2B Application of Division to retail sale activities

This Division does not apply to the retail sale activities of a meat producer.

2C Inputs

A meat producer must take all reasonable measures to ensure that inputs do not adversely affect the safety or suitability of meat or meat products. 

2D Waste disposal

A meat producer must store, handle and dispose of waste in a manner that will not adversely affect the safety or suitability of meat or meat products.

2E Traceability

A meat producer must have a system to identify the persons –

(a) from whom animals were received; and

(b) to whom animals were supplied.

Division 3 – Production of ready-to-eat meat

3 Interpretation

In this Division –

control means a measure that prevents, eliminates or reduces to an acceptable level, a food safety hazard.

HACCP plan means the –

(a) Codex HACCP plan, Annex to CAC/RCPI 1969, Revision 4 (2003); or

(b) HACCP plan outlined in Australian Standard AS-4696-2007.

handling means slicing, shaving or dicing, where it is followed by the packaging of the product in a modified atmosphere package.

producer of ready-to-eat meat means a food business that engages in the –

(a) making, manufacturing, producing, extracting, processing, preparing, treating, preserving, packing, cooking, thawing or handling of ready-to-eat meat; or

(b) handling of ready-to-eat meat for retail sale.

ready-to-eat meat means meat products intended to be consumed without further heating or cooking, and includes –

(a) cooked or uncooked fermented meat; and

(b) pâté; and

(c) dried meat; and

(d) slow cured meat; and

(e) luncheon meat; and

(f) cooked muscle meat including ham and roast beef;  and

(g) other ready-to-eat meat that is susceptible to the growth of pathogens or the production of toxins.

4 Requirements on producers of ready-to-eat meat

A producer of ready-to-eat meat must implement a food safety management system that identifies, evaluates and controls hazards, and meets the requirements in Table 1 or Table 2 to this clause.

Table 1 to clause 4

Table 2 to clause 4

5 Additional requirements for uncooked comminuted fermented meat

(1) In this clause –

audit means a review or examination of any, or all requirements of a food safety program which has been conducted by a person approved as being competent in food safety matters relating to UCFM.

batter mix means all the ingredients in the UCFM recipe that have been combined prior to filling a casing.

starter culture means a preparation of microorganisms prepared for the purpose of fermenting meat which –

(a) successfully competes for the nutrients in the meat medium; and

(b) produces microbial inhibitors; and

(c) is microbiologically safe; and

(d) produces a controlled reduction of the pH of the meat mix.

UCFM means a comminuted fermented meat which has not had its core temperature maintained at 65C for at least 10 minutes or an equivalent combination of time and higher temperature during production.  To avoid doubt, a UCFM includes comminuted fermented meat which has been heat treated.

validation means obtaining evidence to confirm that the food safety management system is complete and effective and will deliver the expected food safety outcomes.

verification means the use of methods, procedures and tests in addition to monitoring to determine compliance with the food safety management system.

(2) Unless expressly provided elsewhere in this Code, a UCFM must not be sold unless it is produced in accordance with this clause.

(3) For the purposes of subclause 5(2), a UCFM may be sold where it is produced using an alternative technology or method specified elsewhere in this Code, provided that the equivalent food safety outcome in this clause is achieved.

(4) A UCFM must be produced in accordance with a food safety management system under clause 4 which –

(a) has been verified and audited to ensure the number of Escherichia coli organisms in the final UCFM comply with the microbiological limits in Standard 1.6.1 in this Code; and

(b) demonstrates that the production process handles the variations of Escherichia coli contamination in the ingoing raw meat ingredients.

(5) As part of the validation or verification requirements of the food safety management system, the number of Escherichia coli organisms must be recorded for the –

(a) raw meat ingredients used to make a UCFM; and

(b) product after fermentation and any subsequent process.

(6) During UCFM production the following matters must be monitored and recorded at suitable frequencies –

(a) the pH of a fermenting UCFM; and

(b) the temperature and time of fermentation of UCFM; and

(c) the temperature and time of maturation/drying of UCFM; and

(d) the temperature and time of smoking of UCFM; and

(e) the weight loss or water activity.

(7) The measurements recorded under subclauses (5) and (6) must be kept for 12 months after the use-by date or best-before date of a UCFM.

(8) The fermentation of a UCFM must be initiated through the use of a starter culture.

(9) A previously fermented or fermenting meat must not be used as –

(a) a starter culture; or

(b) an ingredient in a UCFM.

(10) Meat and batter mix used in the preparation of a UCFM must, if stored by the manufacturer, be stored at 5C or below prior to fermentation.

(11) The pH of a fermenting UCFM must be measured in accordance with Method 1 in the Schedule.

SCHEDULE

Method for measuring pH

1 Meat Determination of pH.

Mince a representative portion of the sample of the UCFM and place that portion in a stoppered bottle with twice its weight of water.  Shake at five-minute intervals for 30 minutes and determine the pH value of the liquid electrometrically at 20°C.

Alternatively, the pH can be determined through the use of calibrated, direct-contact pH probes or meters.

Amendment History

The Amendment History provides information about each amendment to the Standard. The information includes commencement or cessation information for relevant amendments.

These amendments are made under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 unless otherwise indicated. Amendments do not have a specific date for cessation unless indicated as such.

About this compilation

This is compilation No. 7 of Standard 4.2.3 as in force on 29 November 2018 (up to Amendment No. 182). It includes any commenced amendment affecting the compilation to that date.

Prepared by Food Standards Australia New Zealand on 29 November 2018

Uncommenced amendments or provisions ceasing to have effect

To assist stakeholders, the effect of any uncommenced amendments or provisions which will cease to have effect, may be reflected in the Standard as shaded boxed text with the relevant commencement or cessation date. These amendments will be reflected in a compilation registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments including or omitting those amendments and provided in the Amendment History once the date is passed.

The following abbreviations may be used in the table below:

ad = added or inserted am = amended

exp = expired or ceased to have effect rep = repealed

rs = repealed and substituted

Standard 4.2.3 was published in the Food Standards Gazette No. FSC25 on 24 November 2005 (F2005L03673) and registered as a Principal Instrument on 14 February 2012 (F2012L00293). It has been amended as follows: