AN EXTENSION to the shelf life of chilled and vacuum packed red meat is being considered by the Gulf Standards Organisation (GSO), a cooperative consisting of six Middle Eastern countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
According to ABARES, the recommendation would provide Australian exporters with greater flexibility to supply high quality and competitive
red meat products to these markets.
It would also allow for flexibility in packaging.
Previously, chilled beef needed to be packed under a modified atmosphere, which is an expensive practice and one not commonly used by Australian industry.
The recommendations are for beef and buffalo meat to be extended to 120 days and sheep and goat meat to 90 days.
Extended shelf life for vacuum packed meat would also reduce freight costs for Australian producers with chilled meat shipped by sea rather than air.
Depending on the destination and consignment weight, air freight can be five to 10 times more expensive than sea freight.
A longer shelf life also allows products to remain on sale for longer, leading to reduced wastage and higher returns for retailers.
It has been recommended the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bring all their regulations for chilled vacuum packed red meat into alignment.
ABARES reports Australia as being the largest exporter of chilled red meat to GCC members over the past decade, however, its share has decreased over the past decade as Pakistan and Brazil’s shares increased.
The cost of production in these countries is lower than in Australia.
Having a common regulation requirement across the GCC bloc will reduce documentation requirements and costs for Australian red meat exporters to these markets.
Producers and exporters can contact their Middle Eastern importers to explore potential opportunities for meat exports to GCC countries.