RPO meat achieves international recognition for quality

Here's another reason to boast about your braai: the Red Meat Producers' Organisation (RPO) now meets international ISO 9001 standards and has registered its own RPO Quality Management System. This system will soon form part of a comprehensive, ISO-certified 'farm-to-fork' scheme.

- By Susan Marais

At its recent congress, the national RPO officially announced the implementation of the new ISO 9001 and RPO Scheme Quality Management System, developed in partnership with Certification Partner Global (CPG).

According to Thea Laufs, director at CPG, this international standardisation indicates that the national RPO office operates at a globally recognised level in terms of administrative systems. In addition, it paves the way for a universal audit process for farms across South Africa, ensuring that uniform standards are met.

In practice

The ISO 9001 certification applies to the national RPO's overall systems and standards, whereas the RPO Scheme focusses on a specific, implementable, and verifiable standard. In essence, the scheme aims to demonstrate that producers are responsibly managing their animals, people, and the environment. Farms will therefore be audited on key aspects such as animal welfare and health, environmental management, labour practices, biosecurity, traceability, and legal compliance.

“Ultimately, I hope this process affords producers peace of mind, helping them realise that they have been farming the 'right' way for many years, while also encouraging them to pay closer attention to the finer details of their operations,” says Laufs.