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Processing of Meat for Retail Sale

There are legislative requirements for retail premises that process meat products including butcher stores, supermarket delicatessens or jerky stores.  Each requirement varies based on the products manufactured on the premises, such as:

  1. Raw meat and meat products
  2. Ready to eat (RTE) meat products
  3. Slicing of RTE meat products followed by modified atmospheric packaging (MAP)

Ready to eat meats are intended to be consumed without further heat treatment. This includes cooked or uncooked fermented meats (salami), pâté, dried meats (jerky, biltong, droëwors), slow cured meats (prosciutto, lombo), luncheon meats (polony, corned beef, chicken), cooked muscle meats (bbq chicken, roast beef).

Regulatory requirements

All meat businesses in Western Australian must comply with:

The Food Standards Code is adopted under the Food Act 2008.

All meat processors will need to comply with the Food Standards Code, specifically chapters 1, 2.2.1, 3.2.2, and 3.2.3.

Retail meat processors need to comply with the Food Standards Code based on the products they manufacture and the processes they use.

Meat commodity Additional sections under the Food Standards Code Food safety management system
Raw meat and meat Products   Not Applicable
Production of RTE Meat Products for Retail Chapter 4.2.3 Food Safety Management System as per Table 1 or Table 2
Slicing of RTE meats and followed by MAP for Retail Chapter 4.2.3 Food Safety Management System as per Table 1 or Table 2

Registration

A meat business needs to register with the Local Government Authority where the premises is located.

The enforcement agency is the local government where the premises is located and is responsible for compliance and enforcement of the requirements of the Food Act 2008, Food Regulations 2009, and Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Additional Information

The food safety management system (FSMS) is a system that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards.

If the meat business is not required to comply with AS4696 (Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption), the FSMS must:

  • document all stages of production
  • identify all food safety hazards and controls through the use of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan
  • document compliance with Standard 3.2.2 of the Food Standards Code
  • document the management system set out in clauses 3.3 to 3.10 of the Australian Standard 4696

    • Documenting the management system set out in clauses 3.3 to 3.10 of AS4696 requires:

  • 3.3: The management and production processes below are met
  • 3.4: The policy objectives of the meat business must ensure that the meat products are wholesome and commitment is provided by the proprietor
  • 3.5: The organisational structure, the provision of resources and training of personnel are documented and appropriate to the operations undertaken
  • 3.6: A system to be put in place at the premises to verify whether the operational standards are met, and this verification needs to be documented
  • 3.7: If a matter in the management system is not being met:
    • action must be taken to address the issue
    • action must be taken to ensure the issue does not reoccur
    • the effectiveness of the remediation must be assessed
  • 3.8: Corrective action taken under 3.6 and 3.7 needs to be evaluated and documented regularly and any further action to be taken if necessary
  • 3.9: Internal audits and management reviews to be conducted on steps 3.6 to 3.8 and the delivery of the business’ policy objectives, and documentation of any result from the reviews and actions must be taken
  • 3.10: For a meat business employing less than 3 people, clauses 3.8 and 3.9 are satisfied if the business conducts a management review

A business’ compliance will be verified and monitored by the local government enforcement agency.

Information for local governments

For a meat business with a mixture of wholesale and retail, the enforcement agency should contact the Department of Health with information about the items produced. This information should include:

  • Business Name
  • Proprietor
  • Contact Details (phone and email)
  • Products manufactured at the premises
  • Volumes produced (if known)
  • Processes used to make the products (i.e., boning, mincing, cooking, drying, fermenting, curing etc)
  • Proportion of wholesale to retail sales
  • Customers supplied

The Department of Health will evaluate the information provided to determine if the premises is classified as a wholesale processing premises, which needs to comply with the adopted Australian Standards, or will remain as a predominantly retail premises.

If the nature of the business changes in the future, further evaluations may be conducted upon request from either the local government authority or food business.

Last reviewed: 11-07-2025
wa.gov.au