From November 2025 to January 2026 the Ministry for Primary Industries consulted on draft ‘animal products notices’ under the Animal Products Act 1999 which would change how meat inspection is carried out for red meat for export.

The proposal would involve replacing most independent meat inspectors (currently employed by Crown-owned AsureQuality) with inspectors employed directly by meat companies.

The PSA made a submission opposing the proposed changes.

In our submission we recommended MPI abandon this proposal because:

• Company self-inspection is a conflict of interest that we believe would lead to greater pressure and incentives on company inspectors to cut corners and engage in risky practice
• Reduced independent oversight would mean less opportunity to identify and respond to food safety issues or poor practice that occurs
• The removal of non-food safety inspection from AsureQuality inspectors’ roles, combined with the classification of faecal contamination as a non-food safety disposition, would effectively leave the identification of faecal contamination to companies rather than independent inspectors, and we do not have confidence that companies would appropriately manage this significant risk
• The proposed model would increase costs for smaller companies and threaten their viability
• The proposed model presents health and safety risks to workers
• Workers would suffer, either from job losses or from poorer terms and conditions working as company inspectors, and this would have downstream effects on small centres and rural communities
• The proposal creates unnecessary risk to food safety and New Zealand’s export reputation
• The current model works well and is recognised by export partners as being effective and fit for purpose
• MPI have been unable to demonstrate any compelling benefits that would justify this proposal in light of the risks and adverse effects that come with this proposal.

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