Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare Certification System (AAWCS) Conditions of Recognition

This policy outlines the conditions under which the department formally recognises the Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare Certification System (AAWCS) and the role of AUS-MEAT in auditing AAWCS certified export registered establishments. The scope of this policy includes Tier 2 abattoirs.

The following table defines terms used in this document.

The AAWCS is a voluntary program owned by the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC). It was launched in September 2013 to demonstrate industry’s commitment to animal welfare and compliance with the Industry Animal Welfare Standards.

The rules for the AAWCS are contained in the AAWCS Program Rules and the AAWCS Notification Protocol.  

This policy does not replace the department’s audit policies applicable to export registered establishments. Rather it is an adjunct providing direction in relation to auditing of animal welfare on export registered abattoirs.

Because animal welfare legislation sits with the relevant state/territory regulatory agencies, the commonwealth does not have legislative power to take enforcement action to prosecute. It relies on a notification system (i.e. animal welfare incident report) to inform the relevant authority. 

The objectives of this policy are to:

• Outline the conditions upon which the department formally recognises the AAWCS.
• Describe how the department will verify and audit animal welfare on establishments that have opted into this voluntary industry program.
• Describe how the department will verify and audit animal welfare on establishments that choose not to participate or have been withdrawn or suspended from the AAWCS either voluntarily or by AUS-MEAT upon advice from the AMILSC.

The following list outlines the legislation that applies to verification and audit of animal welfare on export registered establishments:

• Export Control Act 1982
• Export Control (Meat and Meat Products) Orders 2005

The roles and responsibilities for verification and audit of animal welfare on export registered establishments are identified in the table below.

The department will ensure that all export registered abattoirs meet the minimum animal welfare requirements as described in the Australian Standard for the hygienic production and transportation of meat and meat products for human consumption (AS4696:2007) (Australian Meat Standard). It will also ensure that market access requirements over and above the Australian Meat Standard are also maintained on export registered abattoirs.

In recognition of the AAWCS, the department will accept approved arrangement animal welfare programs on establishments that are certified by AUS-MEAT, by reducing the audit scope for animal welfare during its monthly or six-monthly audit programs.

The department will audit non-certified establishments against the Australian Meat Standard requirements for animal welfare and importing country requirements for animal welfare.  

The conditions of recognition of the AAWCS are:

• Department continues to verify animal welfare;
• Reporting of audit outcomes on AAWCS Certified export registered establishment by AUS-MEAT to the department through the EMIAC AWSC;  
• Notification of AAWCS critical non-compliances by AUS -MEAT to the department through the EMIAC AWSC;
• Participation in overseas audits by AUS-MEAT; and
• Department to conduct an audit of animal welfare compliance at non-certified AAWCS abattoirs during its audits.

Regardless of whether an establishment is AAWCS certified or not, the department verifies animal welfare on all export registered abattoirs under its Meat Establishment Verification System (MEVS). MEVS is used to underpin the department’s health certification system for export eligible meat and meat products.

There are two verification activities conducted monthly prescribed for animal welfare including Check-the-checker process monitoring verification of animal handling (load-in to the knocking box) and Check-the-checker process monitoring verification of slaughter floor or skinning room operations. The later check covers animal welfare elements that relate to stunning and sticking.

These formal verification activities are rated acceptable, marginal or unacceptable. Marginal outcomes incur a non-conformance issue (NCI) while unacceptable outcomes lead to a Corrective Action Request (CAR) being issued by the OPV.

For ad hoc findings outside of the formal verification checks, the OPV immediately notifies the appropriate establishment supervisor or quality assurance officer. Such issues are noted in the department’s records and they may be tabled at the Weekly Meeting with the establishment management. The exception to this rule is ad hoc findings that are assessed as unacceptable, in which case the OPV will issue a CAR. 

AUS-MEAT will provide, on request, a report to the department which includes but is not limited to the following information:

• Total number AAWCS Certified establishments
• Total number of establishments that have been suspended, either voluntarily or through audit, from the AAWCS
• Total number of new AAWCS applications and dates of Certification
• Dates of all initial and annual verification audits
• For each establishment, all critical and major non-conformances and outcomes of any investigations.

The scope of animal welfare auditing by the department during its ATM audits, will be limited to verification of the currency of the establishment’s AAWCS Certification and the outcome of its last AUS-MEAT verification audit. Where there is evidence of potential systemic non-conformances with animal welfare, then the ATM may also review department on-plant animal welfare verification records, CARS and AWIRs and weekly reports for the period since the last AUS-MEAT AAWCS verification audit.

If an establishment has been suspended from the AAWCS, since the last department audit, then the scope for animal welfare auditing will be determined by the ATM lead auditor in accordance with the department’s audit checklist. As part of their audit preparation process, the ATM may enquire about any AMILSC applied sanctions (e.g. follow up audits by AUS-MEAT) and the status of recertification, if the establishment has taken this step.

The requirements for recertification are described in the AAWCS Program Rules. 

An AUS-MEAT representative will sit on the EMIAC Animal Welfare Subcommittee.

A department representative will sit on the AMILSC.

In the event of an AAWCS critical non-compliance the following notifications are required immediately:

Establishment management should advise the OPV when issued a critical non-compliance by an AUS-MEAT authorised auditor. This can be achieved by inviting the OPV to the verification audit exit meeting. The OPV will advise their ATM.

Establishment management should notify the relevant state authority for animal welfare by raising an Animal Welfare Incident Report.

AUS-MEAT must immediately notify the department of all critical non-conformances simultaneous to notifying the AMILSC that will consider the actions to be taken. Depending on the outcome of an AMILSC meeting to review a critical non-compliance, the department may consider triggering its Critical Incident Response Guidelines which calls for an independent audit by the department.

Whenever an AAWCS certified establishment is included in an overseas audit, the department may request that AUS-MEAT participates. AUS-MEAT will provide a representative/s that is suitably across the AAWCS Program Rules, notification process and has working knowledge of the respective establishment’s animal welfare programs.

For any non-conformances against an AAWCS Certified establishment’s animal welfare program found during an overseas audit, AUS-MEAT has undertaken to oversee any corrective actions required by the establishment. AUS-MEAT will keep the department informed of progress and the outcome of all non-conformances found during overseas audits.

Export registered abattoirs that choose not to participate in the AAWCS and those establishments that are suspended from the AAWCS, at time of department audit, will be subject to the full scope of the department’s audit program animal welfare as detailed in the Audit Guidelines and the Export Meat System Audit Program. ATMs will use the current version of the systems audit checklist that are available on the department’s website.

The following related material is available on the AUS-MEAT website:

• Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare Certification System (AAWCS) Program Rules
• Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare Certification System (AAWCS) Notification Protocol

The following related materials are available on the department’s website:

• Policy: Export Meat System Audit Program Operational Policy
• Guideline: Audit Guidelines
• Guideline: Critical Incident Response
• Standards and Guideline: The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines - Land Transport Standard of Livestock 2012
• Industry Animal Welfare Standards - Livestock Processing Establishments Preparing Meat for Human Consumption

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