Meat Processor
If you are processing meat, including chilling, curing, drying, freezing, deboning, packaging or smoking meat for supply or sale, then you require an accreditation with Safe Food Production Queensland (Safe Food).
If you are a retail butcher but also process meat for wholesale and supply more than 1 tonne/week, then you also require an accreditation with Safe Food.
These activities are classified as Processing under the Meat Scheme of the Food Production (Safety) Regulation 2014.
Other accreditations you may need
If you are a retail butcher that supplies to the public and wholesales less than 1 tonne/week, then you will require an accreditation as a Retail Butcher.
If you are transporting meat to or from other businesses, then you will require an accreditation as a Transporter.
If you are storing meat products under active refrigeration at a different site to your processing facility, then you will require an accreditation as a Cold Store.
Before you apply
If you intend to process meat or meat products, you must do so in an approved facility that meets the requirements of:
- Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products AS 4696 (Part 7)
OR - AS 4465 Australian Standard for Construction of Premises and Hygienic Production of Poultry Meat for Human Consumption (Part A)
AND - Food Standards Code (Food Premises and Equipment) Standard 3.2.3.
If your food premise complies with these requirements and you wish to proceed with an application for accreditation, please see below for what you need to submit.
What should I submit with my application?
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Application form
Complete the Application form and select processing (meat scheme) as your activity on page 2.
Note: If you want to complete this form on your mobile or desktop, please download or save it first.
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Payment of fees
Fees and payment details can be viewed within the application form.
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Food Safety Program
You must submit a Food Safety Program (FSP) with you application. A FSP documents the processes and procedures you will follow to minimise or eliminate food safety risks and ensure the food you produce is safe. This is a detailed document that covers all aspects of your business, from inputs, product descriptions and temperatures, right through to cleaning, maintenance and pest control. It involves a risk assessment to identify where any possible issues may arise, how to recognise these issues, what the acceptable limits are around each step, and what to do to rectify a food safety issue, should it occur.
A FSP can be developed in partnership with a food safety consultant or your industry peak body. However, you are not obliged to use these.
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Approval from local council
You must provide written confirmation from your local council that you are permitted to undertake your proposed activities at the site from which you intend to operate.
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Floor plan & photos
Please submit a floor plan of your processing facility, along with photos that show:
- cool rooms/ refrigerators (floor plan & photos)
- hand washing facilities (floor plan & photos)
- drains (floor plan only)
- all equipment used (e.g. knives, slicers, cryovac machine, thermometers, etc.) (photos only)
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Qualification in Wild Game Carcass inspections (wild game processors only)
If you intend to process wild game, you must submit evidence that you or an employee have the relevant qualifications/training in wild game carcass inspections. The requirements are an MTM 30311 Certificate III in Meat Processing and disposition, including AMPG304 Receive and Inspect Wild Game Carcasses at a processing plant, and AMPA3127 Perform Post-Mortem Inspections of Wild Game, or a relevant qualification or training equivalent.
Submit your completed application to [email protected] or PO Box 221, Greenslopes, Brisbane, QLD 4120.
When to apply
Under the Food Production (Safety) Act 2000, it is unlawful to engage in certain activities relating to primary production or processing of food until you have been granted an accreditation by Safe Food. As such, you should allow adequate time for your application to be reviewed by Safe Food before you begin operating.
Your application will aim to be assessed within 14 days, although applications submitted in their entirety (with all the items outlined above) are likely to be processed faster.
Upon submission of your application, a member of our Central Assessment Team will contact you for payment (if paying by credit card). Once payment has been received, your application will be assessed, and we will contact you if we require any further information.
You will be notified in writing about the outcome of your application (approved or refused).
Temporary Accreditations
As a meat processor, you will be undertaking activities deemed to be medium or high risk under the Food Production (Safety) Regulation 2014. As such, if your application is approved, you will be issued a temporary accreditation to start with.
A temporary accreditation is issued for a period of up to two months, prior to being considered for an open accreditation.
Under a temporary accreditation, you must have your food production system approved by Safe Food before you can begin supplying foods that pose a higher risk to consumers. Examples include products like smallgoods, slow-cured meats and UCFM. Your level of risk will be determined based on what is documented in your Food Safety Program and compared against the Food Production (Safety) Regulation 2014.
If you are issued a temporary accreditation, you will be required to submit additional technical information to demonstrate that your nominated food safety controls are effective in maintaining compliance with the requirements of the Meat Scheme. This required information is in addition to the application process and will incur additional costs. You will be notified in writing if you are issued a temporary accreditation and what you need to supply.
For more information about temporary accreditation requirements, please contact us.
Fees
Fees are based on the activities you are carrying out and are outlined in the Application form.
New applications will incur a one-time application fee that is non-refundable.
Our accreditation period runs from 1st January – 31st December*. You will therefore need to renew your accreditation on an annual basis.
For more information, please refer to our fees & charges.
*Our fees are not pro-rata.
Standards & guidelines
Food Production (Safety) Regulation 2014
Food Production (Safety) Act 2000
Standard 4.2.3 – Primary Production and Processing Standard for Meat and Meat Products
AS 4696 – Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption
Food Standards Code, Standard 3.2.3 (Food Premises and Equipment)
Safe Food Notifications Protocol
Listeria Management Guideline (Australian Meat Regulators Group)
Responsibilities When Producing and Handling Ready-to-Eat Meats (RTE) in Queensland