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 and Water Resources. 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 and Water Resources 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 chaired and run by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, with representation from all the major export industry bodies, such as Food Science Australia, Australian Chamber of Shipping, Refrigerated Warehouse and Transport Association of Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, and the Australian Food Council Processed Meat Industry Forum. EMIAC has three Sub-committees: - Animal Welfare - Finance - Food Safety.