Code of Practice

Fresh Australian Premium Lamb Code of Practice

I. Handling of Stock Prior to Slaughter

• Lambs should not be subjected to unnecessary noise, strenuous movement or rough handling by personnel or their work animals.
• Lambs must be rested sufficiently after arrival at the abattoir before being presented for ante-mortem inspection.

• The dressing of carcasses after slaughter must ensure that the risk of contamination to exposed tissues is minimized and disfigurement or mutilation of carcasses does not occur.
• Carcasses shall be prepared to the AUS-MEAT standard carcass trim to ensure that they meet the weight range requirement, i.e., 18-26 kgs (39.6-57.2 lbs) inclusive. Carcasses over 26 kg (57.2 lbs) may be processed, but bone-in square-cut shoulders obtained from these carcasses must be excluded from the program. All other cuts obtained from these carcasses must be trimmed to a maximum external fat depth of 10mm (7/16 inch).

• After slaughter and dressing, lamb carcasses must be placed under refrigeration for chilling as soon as possible upon leaving the slaughter floor.
• Carcasses shall not be loaded into the chiller in a manner that will impede air circulation within the chiller or between carcasses. Ideally, carcasses should not come into contact with each other.
• The temperature of carcasses must be reduced to below 20°C/68°F within 8 hours of the lambs being placed in the chiller.
• Once the above carcass temperature has been attained, other carcasses from a subsequent kill should not be placed in the chiller unless the chilled carcasses are first removed to the boning room or placed in refrigerated transport vehicles for conveyance to a second establishment. This procedure may be varied with the agreement of the on-plan AQIS Veterinary Officer.
• If being transferred to a second establishment, the carcasses should be first chilled to a meat temperature below 4°C/39°F.

• Carcasses must be transported as a hanging load in a manner that protects them from contamination and deformation.
• It is essential that consistent temperature control of carcasses is maintained during loading and transportation. This will be ensured by observance of the following points:

  - the vehicle's refrigeration system is operated prior to loading, commencing to pre-cool the interior of the van. It should also operate during loading to maintain the temperature;

  - the vehicle's refrigeration system must be kept operating at all times during the journey and until unloading is complete;

  - the meat temperature of the carcasses must be below 4°C/39°F during the journey.

• Carcasses must be inspected at entry to the boning room and undergo a pre-boning trim in accordance with the Export Meat Manual. Trimming must be carried out in such a way as to minimize damage to the carcass surface. (Any such damage is greatly emphasized by vacuum packaging.)

• Required cuts must be produced in strict accordance with the Fresh Australian Premium Lamb specifications. Cutting lines are to be closely followed and all knife or saw work is to be of the highest standard.
• Knife or other implement scores or cuts in primals must be carefully avoided. Surfaces of cuts should be blemish-free.
• Trimming/slicing of Fresh Australian Premium Lamb cuts is to be in strict accordance with the specifications laid down in each instance.
• A high standard of hygiene is to be maintained at all times.
• A thorough process of cleaning and sanitation must be implemented to ensure that the work surface does not add organisms to an otherwise satisfactory product. It is essential that every surface touched by the product should be visually free of food particles, free from chemical residues, and not have excessive microbial populations.

• All cuts produced under the Fresh Australian Premium Lamb program must be vacuum packaged. Cuts of a dark meat color should not be included for vacuum packaging. Vacuum packaging should be done within one half hour of boning and slicing to minimize CO2 loss to air.
• Boneguard (or equivalent) must be adequately used to cover all exposed bone surfaces. To avoid "leakers" in vacuum bags, double layers on boneguard over all rough/sharp bone points or edges is mandatory. At other points the least amount of boneguard consistent with effective protection and efficient application is to be used.
• Vacuum packaging materials are to be of a grade which will adequately stand up to the rigors of storage and handling. Care must be exercised when handling vacuum-packed items to avoid leakage.
• Details of materials to be used by each packer must be submitted to AUS-MEAT for evaluation of suitability.
• Cleaning and sanitation of vacuum packaging facilities are to be in accordance with CSIRO recommendations, where applicable, or according to those of the equipment manufacturer. All equipment must be free from moisture prior to commencement of work. In order to ensure that the cleaning program is functioning effectively, it is essential that microbiological testing of equipment be done at regular intervals.
• Cartons used should conform with Australian Standard AS 1992 or AFFA-approved style AS 1993. A polyethylene liner should be used and the cuts arranged so that:

  - none protrudes above the top of the carton base

  - movement of cuts in the carton is unlikely

  - visual appeal of the packed carton is maximized

  The cartons are then transferred without delay to the vacuum pack chiller.

• The vacuum pack chiller must be set to operate between -3°C to 1°C/27°F to 34°F.
• Cartons need to be well spaced on stillages.
• Inspection should occur after overnight chilling, at which stage any leakers detected must be withheld from export. There is no arbitrary figure for the number of samples to be inspected for this purpose. It is expected that the establishment Quality Assurance program would be effective to a degree that would enable early detection of leakers.

• It is essential that temperature control of the product be maintained during loading and transportation. This will be achieved by observance of the following points:

  - the vehicle's refrigeration system is operated prior to loading, commencing to pre-cool the interior of the van. It should also operate during loading to maintain the temperature:

  - the refrigeration system must be kept operating at all times during the journey and should, if necessary, also operate until unloading is completed.

• Meat temperature during transport must not exceed 4°C/39°F.