Meat Processing Facility Licence - Victoria

Description

You will require this licence if you intend to operate a meat processing facility. There are a number of meat processing facilities that require this licence:

  • Abattoirs - businesses that slaughter animals for human consumption
  • Poultry processing facilities - businesses that slaughter and process poultry for human consumption
  • Further meat processing facilities - businesses that process, pack, wholesale or store meat for human consumption
  • Retail butcher shops - retail businesses that sell meat for human consumption (may also wholesale up to one tonne per week)
  • Prime tallow processing facilities - businesses that purchase or acquire edible fat for rendering into prime tallow products
  • Inedible rendering facilities - businesses that process inedible / edible offal by way of rendering (heating / drying) into inedible products
  • Pet meat processing plants - businesses that slaughter animals not intended for human consumption
  • Pet food establishments - businesses that wholesale, package or prepare pet food / pet meat for sale.

Only licensed retail butcher shops and further meat processing facilities can apply to manufacture smallgoods. You must obtain PrimeSafe approval before starting to manufacture smallgoods.

Please consult the responsible agency for more information and to ascertain the level of compliance (if any) that may be required.

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for this licence you must:put in place a quality assurance program (food safety plan) including the following components:

  • organisational chart, hazard analysis critical control point plan, cleaning program, maintenance program, pest control program, training program, calibration program, traceability program, and recall program
  • provide PrimeSafe with confirmation that you have engaged an approved Accredited Certification Body to enable audit of the Quality Assurance program
  • ensure that the facility complies with the construction requirements of the appropriate standards prior to submitting the application.

Please consult the responsible agency for more information regarding eligibility requirements.

Ongoing eligibility requirements

You will need to comply with any restrictions or conditions placed on your licence. You must make arrangements with a contracted Accredited Certification Body for an auditor to be present at the facility within the first seven days of operation. Weekly quality control audits will continue until a quality assurance program is implemented. The agency must be advised in writing if any of the following changes are made to your business:

  • the licensed operator of the facility changes, or the facility ceases to operate or changes ownership
  • an administrator, receiver or liquidator is appointed.

Duration

Annual.

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Description
Apply Application All

Application and annual fees will differ according to the amount of meat processed. Please consult the responsible agency for more information.

Act(s) name

Meat Industry Act 1993 Victoria

Regulation(s) name

Meat Industry Regulations 2015 Victoria

Application process

Apply

Please lodge your application and accompanying documentation directly with the agency. Following receipt of the complete application, a PrimeSafe licensing manager will contact you to make arrangements to inspect the facility, before approval can be granted.

Approval time

2 weeks.

Additional information

Abattoirs, further meat processing facilities and poultry processing facilities can also be licensed as game meat processing facilities provided certain requirements are met. An abattoir licence may be endorsed to allow meat processing to occur at the same facility.

A retail butcher or prime tallow processing facility may also be operated from a licensed further meat processing facility provided all of the meat or by-products processed originate from the same facility.

Administering agency

PrimeSafe

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.

Please use these contact details for help or more information:

Enquiries

PrimeSafe
Operating address: 150 Albert Road
South Melbourne, Victoria 3205
Mailing address: PO BOX 2057
South Melbourne, Victoria 3205
Phone: 03 9685 7333
Fax: 03 9696 5284
Email: info@primesafe.vic.gov.au
Website: PrimeSafe (Opens in new window)