Food safety at top of list for NZ meat

Around 800,000 tones of New Zealand meat are exported each year - mostly lamb and beef, but also venison, veal, goat, poultry and offal - making it the country's second largest food export earner behind dairy products. 

Rigorous biosecurity measures and New Zealand's remote island geography have helped safeguard the industry and ensure the country's animal disease-free status, as recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Together with the country's strict food safety laws, New Zealand meat is granted access to some of the world's most demanding markets.

Grass-fed

These markets are served by companies like ANZCO - a leading processor and marketer of New Zealand lamb and beef.

ANZCO's Marketing Manager for Beef, Stuart Hall, says New Zealand's animal disease-free status is essential for market entry, though the country also has wider animal welfare credentials that are valued by an increasing number of consumers.

New Zealand has a comprehensive animal welfare code and its pasture based farming system means that cattle, sheep and deer are raised in natural conditions. 

"Grass-fed denotes free-range. With the majority of grain-fed competitors internationally the animals are virtually housed, so free-range considerations in terms of animal health and welfare is becoming a point of leverage for us," says Hall.

The end result is premium meat with added health benefits for consumers. Grass-fed beef, for example, is leaner than grain-fed, lower in calories and higher in vitamin E and Omega 3 essential fatty acids.

ANZCO's Marketing Manager for Lamb Alister King says it is natural, healthy meat products that have found favor with discerning consumers.

"They know they're buying something that is good for them and their family. It's healthy and it's good for the environment," says King.

Increased traceability

Product traceability is being addressed at an industry level as consumers increasingly demand food safety assurances. New Zealand is currently developing its national animal identification and tracing scheme (NAIT), which will enable animals to be traced from birth to slaughter.

While New Zealand's current tracing capabilities are sound, the new electronic system will give the meat industry the ability to manage biosecurity and food safety more efficiently and accurately. It is expected to be in place mid-late 2012.

Clearly, consumers' increasingly specific demands are driving a shift in the meat industry, giving companies like ANZCO the opportunity to drive their point of difference.

"Fundamentally I think this is a key area for the future. It's not only about understanding the desires and requirements of our own customers, it's about getting a better understanding of end consumer requirements and what the consumer values," says Hall.

Hall believes New Zealand, with its reputation for premium meat products premised on New Zealand's safe, natural image, is well on the way to meeting changing consumer expectations.

"We have a really good story to tell the world in terms of quality of product and the quality of farm and production processes…and doing more work around consumer insight will enable us to further define those opportunities."