Exporting halal red meat and red meat products from Australia

The word halal is Arabic and means ‘permissible’ or ‘lawful’ according to Islamic law. For meat and meat products to be recognised as halal, the animal must be slaughtered and processed in accordance with the requirements of Islamic law.

Each year, Australia exports over 1 million tonnes of meat and offal to more than 160 countries. Seventeen of these countries are Muslim-majority countries and many others have significant Muslim populations, all of which require a high level of confidence in the halal production of Australian red meat and offal. 

Australia is one of the few non Muslim countries in the world that has legislation in place for the production, segregation, integrity, and traceability of export halal red meat and red meat products. 

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (the department) regulates the production and certification of all halal red meat and red meat products intended for export. As prescribed under the export legislation, facilities producing these products and Islamic organisations that certify them must comply with the Australian Government Authorised Halal Program (AGAHP). Only halal red meat and red meat products that are compliant with AGAHP and known importing country requirements are eligible for an official Australian halal certificate.

Diagram consisting of three distinct sections illustrating the collaborative partnership that makes up AGAHP between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry who maintains legislative control and technical market access, The Halal Certifying Bodies who provide religious oversight and the Export Registered Red Meat Establishments who ensure hygiene, integrity, traceability and animal welfare.

AGAHP was established in 1997 and is a three-way partnership between:

  • The Australian Government
  • Approved Islamic Organisations (AIOs)
  • Export registered establishments

Meat & Livestock Australia red meat halal videos

The below video - developed by the department in conjunction with Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) - provides an overview of AGAHP. 

Download Transcript

MLA Australia Red Meat Halal Video - English Short Version (Transcript) (DOCX 17 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Approved Islamic Organisations (AIOs)

Approved Islamic Organisations (AIOs) are responsible for ensuring the religious aspects of the production of halal red meat and red meat products under AGAHP are delivered, including:

  • Training and supervision of Muslim slaughtermen.
  • Auditing and monitoring the ongoing halal compliance of export registered meat establishments and informing the department of any non-compliances.
  • Endorsing and co-signing halal certificates when satisfied that goods comply with the agreed halal procedures.
  • Maintaining relevant records.

Under AGAHP, AIOs must enter an arrangement that has been approved by the department (an Approved Arrangement) which identifies both the importing country (or countries) and that the AIO has been approved to certify product for import as halal. Further information on AIOs, including the requirements to become an AIO under AGAHP, can be found at:

Please refer to the list of recognised Islamic bodies for halal certification of red meat for details of the AIOs currently approved and the markets that they service.

Export registered establishments

All export registered establishments producing halal meat for export must hold a current Approved Arrangement with the Australian Government. The arrangement must address conditions such as:

  • The production of halal meat under AGAHP.
  • Relevant importing country requirements.
  • Details of AIOs certifying the establishment’s products.

Establishments must follow procedures for the identification, segregation, and integrity of halal products. These procedures are relevant during all stages of production, storage, and transport. The department regularly audits establishments to ensure they are meeting their approved arrangement requirements.

Further information on exporting meat and meat products as an export registered establishment is located at the following departmental webpage: Export Registered Australian Standard Meat Establishments (Tier 1). 

Production of halal red meat and red meat products for export from Australia is underpinned by federal legislation set out in the Export Control Act 2020 (the Act) and the Export Control (Meat and Meat Products) Rules 2021 (the Rules).

The Export Control Act 2020 sets out the overarching legal framework for the regulation of exported goods from Australia. Under the Act, export registered establishments and approved Islamic organisations must ensure that red meat and red meat products intended for export comply with importing country requirements.

The Export Control (Meat and Meat Products) Rules 2021 are legislative instruments that interpret the Act and set out operational requirements that must be met to export specific goods from Australia. These conditions ensure that meat and meat products exported:

  • Satisfy relevant importing country requirements.
  • Conform with requirements and industry standards.
  • Meet Australia’s international obligations.

The department’s Export Standards Branch (ESB) is responsible for maintaining market access for Australian exporters by negotiating with importing countries and international halal authorities. For assistance with international relations, please contact ESB via Halal.ExportMeat@aff.gov.au.

Micor

The department’s Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) identifies many known international market requirements exporters and the department must satisfy.

Micor is updated when the department becomes aware of a change to importing country requirements. As Micor is only a guide, exporters must engage their importers or relevant importing authorities to confirm that they meet importing country requirements.

Users of Micor can subscribe to the Micor update service for a commodity-specific email that lists changes that have been made in the preceding week.

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern