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Primary Production and Processing Standard for Poultry Meat

(Australia only)

Final Assessment

At its meeting in March 2010, the FSANZ Board approved a draft Primary Production and Processing Standard for Poultry Meat (Poultry Standard).   A report of the Final Assessment is now available  HERE .

The Board’s decision on the Poultry Standard has been notified to the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (Ministerial Council) for consideration. 

The Ministerial Council will consider the Poultry Standard when it meets in May 2010. If a review of the Board’s decision is not requested by the Ministerial Council, the Poultry Standard will be gazetted and commence two years from the date of gazettal.   

The Poultry Standard introduces new legal requirements for the growing of live poultry. Poultry growers are required to identify and control the food safety hazards associated with the growing of poultry.  

Poultry processors will continue to be required to identify and control the food safety hazards associated with the processing of poultry (which includes the slaughtering process) and verify the effectiveness of the control measures.  

Campylobacter and Salmonella are the two main bacteria that can be present on raw poultry and cause illness if the poultry is not cooked or handled correctly. The Poultry Standard aims to lower both the prevalence and levels of these two pathogens in poultry meat, thereby reducing the likelihood of illness occurring.

Raw chicken meat microbiological survey

FSANZ, in association with the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and government agencies in South Australia, Western Australia, NSW, Queensland and Tasmania, coordinated a baseline survey to obtain information on the likelihood of live chickens being contaminated on-farm with Campylobacter and Salmonella and also the likelihood of the chicken being contaminated after it has been slaughtered.  

This study measured both the prevalence and where appropriate, levels, of Salmonella and Campylobacter at three points along the chicken meat supply chain, on-farm, just prior to processing and at the end of primary processing (the slaughtering process).

A report of the survey,Baseline survey on the prevalence and concentration of Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken meat on-farm and at primary processing, is now available HERE

After the Poultry Standard has been implemented, another poultry survey will be conducted to determine whether the requirements have been successful in lowering the amount of Campylobacter and  Salmonella in raw poultry.