The Meat Industry Association’s 2017 annual report said food safety and product quality would remain the highest-ranked priorities for collaborative research and development investments.
But sustainability and the social licence were increasing in importance and were now a specific priority investment area.
The strategy contained an objective to ensure the processing industry was recognised as a global leader in animal welfare and environmental stewardship.
It also had an ambition for an exemplary health and safety record.
Animal welfare was arguably the key non-food safety concern raised by customers in mature markets and increasingly in newer markets, the report said.
NZ’s very high animal welfare standards and good reputation did have some gaps.
The oversight and inspection regime headed by the Ministry for Primary Industries did not cover all parts of the primary sector.
“This inconsistency resulted in the high-profile issue involving bobby calves being mistreated by a pet food manufacturer,” the report said.
“The MIA is strongly of the view on the need for effective regulation and consistent enforcement of regulation across the sector.
“That is because it helps protect the industry against false or misleading claims that can damage our reputation with the NZ public and with overseas customers.”
The MIA led the cross-sectoral bobby calf working group that developed and rolled out through MPI the new handling, shelter and transport regulations that came into effect this year.
It was still working on industry requirements for documentation and digital tracking.
During the year a Fit for Transport mobile application was launched to help farmers, transport operators, livestock agents and veterinarians.
“It consolidates available information in one place and doesn’t require internet access, which makes it suitable for onfarm use.”
The MIA operated through different vehicles to implement the research and development strategy and its essential innovation pathways, the report said.
They were direct investment via MIA Innovation, through the NZ Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Ovine Automation and member companies.
MPI collected money for the Meat Industry Initiative Fund through slaughter levies and the fund was used for short-term, single-milestone projects.
In the past year it was used to update the Food Quality System Model, fibre containment on the slaughter floor and bunging technologies.
The fund was also used for about $1.2 million in the research and development partnership with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Among the results during the past year was data to provide a better understanding of how a carcase was contaminated.
Dressing practices could be modified to reduce the impact of spoilage bacteria on the life of chilled lamb.
Researchers were collecting evidence to suggest that shiga-toxin producing Ecoli (STEC) bacteria were at low levels on NZ farms.
The most common STEC bacteria causing human illness and even death in North America was E coli 0157.
STECs were considered unlikely to occur in NZ adult beef, with industry efforts focused on reducing the risk in bobby veal.
New pathogen policies and genomic tests were being developed in the United States and MIA staff saw how confidentiality would be maintained in NZ testing results.
