Brazil became the major exporting country of bovine meat of the world, and it’s seeking the consolidation of this position through investments in animal defense, traceability, and standardization of processes and products. In this scenario, Brazil will count on a strategic partner, AUS-MEAT, an Australian company internationally recognized for the integrity and credibility of its services, responsible for the standardization of the cuts of meat and carcass adopted by United Nations.

AUS-MEAT has just established an exclusive partnership with Brasil Certificação, which will introduce the Australian methodology developed throughout 20 years, recognized in the most demanding markets regarding quality and standardization, such as the United States of America, Japan, South Korea, and so forth. "Brazil reached a level of world-wide excellency in term of production, including the quality of herd and also the efficiency of our industry" affirmed Alexandre Martins, executive-director of Brasil Certificação that visited the main Australian producers, feedlots and slaughterhouses during March.

Brazil responds for the biggest commercial herd of the world, accounting 183 million animals, and conquered the world-wide leadership of exportation of bovine meat, commercializing 1.3 million tons in 2003. However, the average price of the Brazilian meat is below of the Australian average, approximately USS 3,500/ton. "We already achieved an excellent quality, and we are in the vanguard in terms of production and infra-structure. However, we need to standardize our processes. In addition, we need to adapt it to the specifications accepted world-wide, as well as assure the quality of our processes and products. This will be an important step forward to add value to our products", concluded Martins.

By May of 2004, Brazil Certification starts working in partnership with AUS-MEAT, providing solutions for the local market, including services developed to attend producers and industry. "AUS-MEAT became a world-wide reference in certification when the Standards for Bovine Carcases and Cuts were adopted by the UN/ECE. The internationalisation of the product description system serves to facilitate international trade through the ability to accurately describe products using a universal or common Language. The system when linked to animal identification provides elementary security and confidence along the marketing chain and benefits both producers and processors” explained Ian King Chief Executive AUS-MEAT.


Adding Value To The Brazilian Meat

The success of the programs offered for AUS-MEAT can be evaluated by the level of subscriptions on the programs: 100% of exporting slaughterhouses and 80% of slaughterhouses focused on domestic market has contracted AUS-MEAT services; 700 feedlots - representing 85% of the animals finished in Australia - participate in a program developed for intensive production; 5.000.000 animals participate of the extensive production program. "Whilst enrollment in our programs is voluntary, the market recognizes the value of our work and the importance of the quality mark being underpinned by third party accreditation" informed Mr King.

In Brazil, 2 programs will be offered initially to take care of to the producers, including grass feed and feedlots, and 1 program conceived to take care of to the slaughterhouses, including from the slaughter processes until the packing, based upon the most rigorous standards of the AUS-MEAT. "We sent to Australia a team of technicians, which will pass for a 3 months training, that contemplates not only the programs, but also visits the properties and slaughterhouses, and finally in-loco auditing", detailed Vantuil Carneiro Sobrinho, operational director of Brasil Certificação.

The programs will pass for a revision before being available in Brazil. The methodology will be evaluated and validated for the Brazilian and Australian technicians. "Obviously, we will make some adaptations, adjusting to the reality of our productive system. Through this methodology, an international trader will be able to choose one specific cut or a specific quality standard, using a "common language" used in the entire world. This standardization will evidence our quality, it will be a facilitator in terms of commercialization, and ultimately will add value to the brazilian product ", emphasized Sobrinho.


World-wide standard of Quality linked to EAN Numbering Systems.
Actually 133 countries had adopted a system of universal identification, which standardizes and facilitates the commercialization between more than 1.000.000 companies world-wide, making possible the logistic of 500.000.000 transactions per day. Therefore, the standardization of the products became a necessity and a requirement for the international trade.

In 2001, AUS-MEAT developed for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) the standardization of the meat cuts and carcass, which took care of the commercial requirements, as well as brought innumerable benefits for the productive chain, such as the increase of the alimentary security through traceability, the reduction of costs in the entire process, and the access the more demanding markets and consumers.

The world-wide market of the bovine meat as a whole earned, conquering the confidence of the consumer and consequently increasing the demand comparing to other meats; hence, Brazil also can benefit from AUS-MEAT know-how by adopting this standard. "A partnership and knowledge exchange will benefit both countries with the Bovine meat chain being the winner as we develop new market opportunities for Bovine Meat” concluded Mr King.


About Brasil Certificação

Brasil Certificação was founded in the 2001 with the objective of being a referential of the Brazilian livestock, providing traceability services, guaranteeing quality of the Brazilian herd, and assisting the country to conquer the world-wide leadership of exportation of bovine meat. Initially focused on domestic market, Brasil Certificação offers a trustworthy and efficient methodology, in compliance with the normative instructions of the SISBOV, implementing procedures to characterize the origin and the sanitary state of the animal, the productive process of the property, and the security of foods. The commitment with the quality has made of Brasil Certificação the number 1 certifier in Brazil, responsible for the first group of bovines identified officially under the SISBOV program.

Brasil Certificação operates throughout 15 regional offices - including the recently inaugurated offices in the states of Rondônia, Pará and Tocantins - via 125 accredited technicians, attending 17,000 producers nationwide, certifying approximately 5.000.000 animals. "The unique infrastructure in the country through its regional offices, the quality of its team, and the importance of Brasil Certificação in the traceability market, was decisive for AUS-MEAT regarding establishing a partnership with a company renowned for credibility and capacity to develop our programs in Brasil", informed King.


About AUS-MEAT

AUS-MEAT was established in 1987 as part of the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation (AMLC) under section 16 of the Australian Meat & Livestock Corporation Act 1977 (AMLC Act). As such, it had statutory responsibility for a national objective description of Australian Meat and Livestock (ie the Authority for the Uniform Specification of Meat or AUS-MEAT).

AUS-MEAT is internationally renowned for its unique role in underpinning the integrity of Australian product on export markets. Since its inception, the Australian industry has utilized AUS-MEAT to enhance the reputation of Australian product in over 160 markets around the globe. In 2001, The United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Bovine Standards were developed under the auspices of the United Nations UN/ECE involving fifty-five member countries. The Standards provide an International Trading Language for Bovine Meat. AUS-MEAT played a significant role in the development of these Standards on behalf of Australia. The Standards are largely based on the AUS-MEAT Language.

AUS-MEAT works closely with industry management committees and corporate bodies in cooperative business partnerships. The arrangement with these bodies has invariably been a successful customer-supplier partnership. Administration and auditing is carried out on behalf of the organization while ownership of the individual Standards still belong to that company or organization.

AUS-QUAL™ Pty Ltd is the wholly owned subsidiary of AUS-MEAT Limited. AUS-QUAL was formed to provide commercial services utilizing AUS-MEAT’s extensive skill base, where appropriate, both within and outside of the traditional Meat and Livestock Industry. AUS-QUAL also provides a range of certification services. AUS-QUAL™ is accredited by the Joint Accreditation System – Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) to certify quality management systems against the ISO 9001:2000 series international standard. AUS-QUAL™ also provides certification of HACCP based Food Safety Programs for the food production, processing and food service sectors.