Export Meat Industry Advisory Committee

The Export Meat Industry Advisory Committee (EMIAC) was created in the 1960s as a consultative body between the export meat industry and the predecessor of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. EMIAC still retains the same role today. EMIAC's terms of reference are broad but its main function is to consider technical issues affecting the export meat sector. EMIAC also provides policy advice on many major issues such as residues, pathogens, international requirements including market access and food safety issues affecting meat. EMIAC is not a statutory body but it has a high profile within the industry. Its prime relationship is with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry but it often refers matters to other bodies such as SAFEMEAT, the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand, state meat industry authorities, and others as required. EMIAC is independently chaired with secretariat provided by the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, with representation from all the major export industry bodies and large processors, such as Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC), AUS-MEAT, JBS Australia, Teys Australia, Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC), Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Australian Pork Limited (APL), Cattle Australia, Sheep Producers Australia, Goat Industry Council of Australia. EMIAC has three Sub-committees: - Animal Welfare - Finance - Food Safety - Animal Health.