Of the 2.5 million tonnes of Australian red meat exported to countries around the world every year, approximately 5% % reaches the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East following its slaughter by one of several licensed Halal Supervisors. Appointed by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, the supervisors certify the slaughter’s accordance with the Islamic Shariah adding the ‘Halal Guarantee’ to the meat’s traditional great taste.
The Halal guarantee can be confidently expected from a red meat producer exporting 730,000 tonnes of beef and veal, 62,000 tonnes of lamb and 137,000 tonnes of mutton annually.
Australia applies stringent meat processing techniques allowing animals to be slaughtered in a manner that is acceptable to Muslims anywhere in the world. To provide integrity, the Halal process is regulated through the Australian Government Supervised Muslim Slaughter (AGSMS) Programme by government employees and supervised by independent Islamic organisations. This programme is supported by law; severe legal penalties apply to anyone who contravenes the regulations.
In spite of being the world leader in the meat export business, the Australian meat industry is very well tuned to all the markets it serves. More so to the religious sentiments of Muslims in many of the more than one hundred countries it exports meat products to, where ‘Halal’ slaughter, is a religious requirement. All Australian meat products exported to these markets are therefore ‘Halal’ certified.
Ian Ross, Regional Manager, Middle East and Africa for Meat & Livestock Australia Limited (MLA), a farmer-owned company that provides research and marketing services to livestock producers, processors, exporters, importers, foodservice operators and retailers, adds, “This also qualifies Australian red meat as the only meat products from non-Muslim countries to uphold the integrity of Islamic animal slaughter through government legislation.”
Besides supporting best practices in the Australian meat industry for ‘Halal’ slaughter, MLA also plays an active role in promoting the high quality of Australian meat products worldwide. Ian Ross, from MLA adds “While it helps that Australia is well known worldwide for its ‘clean, green image’ and well earned reputation as a safe supplier of quality meat products, at MLA we do not simply promote this aspect. We also
aggressively work towards increasing demand, improve market access and conduct constant research and development to ensure a best quality product.”
Right from the farm to the supermarket shelf, MLA is actively involved with Australian meat products. At the farm level, MLA’s involvement includes research and development into a wide range of areas including grazing management, animal health, meat quality and animal genetics. Post farm, MLA is involved in a variety of activities too. Spanning product development, supply chain management, safety, training, food safety, microbiological research and finally marketing. MLA’s goal for the Middle East markets is singular. If consumers choose Australian red meat, they are guaranteed that it is ‘Halal’ as well as ensuring the product’s quality, taste and nutritional value.
