Export Compliance and Traceability Policy

Purpose. Defines how Southern Cross maintains eligibility to export and keeps full traceability from livestock consignment to despatched carton.

1.Policy statement

Southern Cross will only prepare, describe, certify and despatch product for export in accordance with the Export Control Act 2020, the conditions of the establishment registration and the requirements of the importing country. Product that does not meet the importing country requirement must not be presented for export certification under any circumstance.

2.Traceability from livestock

Every consignment of livestock must arrive with a completed National Vendor Declaration and electronic identification that is read and reconciled at unloading. Lot numbers must be assigned at receival and must follow the body through slaughter, chilling, boning and packing so that any carton can be traced back to the consignment. Movements must be recorded on the National Livestock Identification System database within the required time.

3.Market eligibility

The QA team maintains a market eligibility matrix that lists, for each market, the livestock categories, production practices, ages, grades and processing conditions that are accepted. Livestock and product must be segregated and labelled by eligibility, and the eligibility code must be entered on the loadout order before the order is booked.

• European Union and United Kingdom: cattle accreditation and hormonal growth promotant status
• Halal markets: slaughter under the approved halal program
• Japan and Korea: age verification and specified risk material controls
• China: listed establishment conditions and labelling

4.Labelling and documentation

Carton labels must be generated from the production system and must not be hand altered. Consignment data must be transferred electronically to the export documentation system before the container is sealed, and the loadout supervisor must reconcile carton count and weight against the order before release.

5.Container inspection and sealing

Every container and vehicle must be inspected for cleanliness, odour, pests, damage and pre-cooling before loading, and the inspection recorded in the QA monitoring system. Containers must be sealed in the presence of an authorised officer or as otherwise required by the Approved Arrangement and the seal number recorded on the loadout order.

6.Breaches and recalls

Any suspected breach of an export condition must be reported to the Quality Assurance Manager immediately and the affected product placed on hold. A mock recall will be conducted at least twice a year to prove that product can be traced and retrieved within four hours.