Wild game meat

Overview

‘Over the past 40 years a significant industry has developed which utilises the kangaroo resource. Initially its focus was largely on pest control for the pastoral industries. However over the last decade there has been a growing realisation that the kangaroo industry has significant economic and environmental benefits.

The kangaroo industry currently generates in excess of $270 million per year in income and employs over 4000 people. The vast bulk of these jobs are in remote rural communities.’

¹ source: Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia. John Kelly, B. Ru Sci. (Hons), Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia. July 2008 Accessed: http://www.kangaroo-industry.asn.au/morinfo/BACKGR1.HTM on 5 May 2010.

Game harvesters training

All scheduled free training courses have been completed. Attendance was excellent; however some licensees still need to undertake training.

Harvesters who need to do the training need to contact Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE on ph 07 4694 1600.

The Authority will notify harvesters of any training needed to maintain their Authority licence.

Resources

The Authority has produced resources to help wild game meat harvesters meet their legal requirements.

Food safety programs

Two food safety programs, one for wild game meat field depots and one for wild game meat field harvesters, are available.

A copy of the Wild Game Meat Field Harvesters Food Safety Program  (pdf, 892 KB) was mailed to each licensed harvester in NSW in early May 2010.

Also available is the Wild Game Meat Field Depot Food Safety Program (pdf, 3MB)

Licensees must comply with AQIS Meat Notice Number 2009/18: Additional Requirements for Wild Game Meat Processing for Export (pdf, 75KB). The requirements of this notice have been incorporated into the food safety programs.

The food safety programs will help industry to standardise food safety practices and trace wild game meat to the property from which the animal was harvested

Circulars

• General Circular 04/2012 (pdf, 55KB) Changes to game meat field harvester vehicle audit program
• General Circular 10/2010 (pdf, 30KB) Changes to place of harvest information required on wild game harvester carcase tags 
• General Circular 05/2010 (pdf, 34KB) Game harvester refresher training 
• General Circular 02/2010 (pdf, 36 KB) New requirements for a food safety program and commencement of auditing for field harvesters
• General Circular 01/2010 (pdf, 121 KB) Revised food safety program and commencement of auditing for field depots 

Other resources

• Harvester truck requirements (pdf, 40KB) 
• Licensing requirements for harvesters of game animals for human consumption (pdf, 39KB) 

New measures

These were developed in 2009 after significant consultation with industry. The measures relate to changes in:

• carcase tagging procedures
• field depot temperature monitoring and recording
• carcase transport from field depots to processing establishments, and
• carcase receival and handling procedures (for facilities that process carcases) including implementation of a maximum time between harvest and processing for human consumption.

These requirements and typical operating procedures are included in the food safety programs.

The changes are consistent with the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production of Wild Game Meat for Human Consumption (AS 4464:2007).

These food safety programs are similar to those that have been developed by other state regulatory agencies (eg SafeFood Queensland) and will be used during audits and inspections.