Here's one mail about Australian meat.

Date:    Sun, 8 Oct 2006 01:56:37 +1000
From:    John Salmon <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: For OZ members

>Anyone have any info on this? Also is there a mad cow disease risk buying
>Australian beef.
To my knowledge the use of antibiotics as a feed additive is illegal in
Australia. Also if the meat is free range and I assume that it means grass
fed then it stands to reason that there would be no feed additives used. (
ie they eat grass only)

Also I believe that your import regulations ban the import of beef that has
been fed antibiotics ( which is a bit weird as they are allowed to be used
in the USA domestic cattle)

We do not label our beef antibiotic free as it is implied by law and if it
gets pass the USA testing of imports then its certified free.

The use of HGP's across Australia varies - In Tasmania it is illegal to use
them, the other states have tight regulations on what HGP's can be used.

Basically the bulk of our beef is grass fed thus no additives or supplements
are given.

The USA and Japan allow the use of HGP's in imported meat but regulate the
residue factor. The EU market allows no HGP's to be used. Basically HGP's
tend to toughen the meat thus are not overly suitable for the export market.



Mad cow disease is not in Australia.

Australia maintains its BSE free status through a complete ban on importing
live cattle from all countries that have reported cases of BSE.

We also have a compulsory ban on the feeding of feedstuffs containing
ruminant (and other specified mammalian) meat and bone meal to ruminants.
This ban is backed up by tighter regulations on the labelling of feedstuffs.

As a further measure, Australia has an ongoing national surveillance program
that tests hundreds of cattle and sheep brains from animals that display
certain nervous symptoms each year. This is to demonstrate to world markets
that Australia remains BSE and scrapie free.

We have a very tight quarantine procedure in place for incoming passengers
in relation to meat products and by products however it is possible that an
Australian could get CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE by eating meat products in
overseas countries - the incubation period is quite long.

However down here there is no problem with having a nice meal of crumbed
brains.

>the  butcher
>indicates if it doesn't say it on the label, it does contain antibiotics
>and
>hormones.

The butcher is wrong - if you are eating aussie beef or lamb then you are
eating the cleanest meat product available

In the case of lamb there is no use of HGP's and all of our lamb exports are
'free range' (grass fed)

------------------------------


----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 3:36 PM
Subject: Re: Nature's reserve free range lamb/beef


> Hi
> Shoprite Supermarket  in NJ today has a sale on free range Australian
beef,
> but the label doesn't say hormone and antibiotic free, and the  butcher
> indicates if it doesn't say it on the label, it does contain antibiotics
and
> hormones.
>
> Anyone have any info on this? Also is there a mad cow disease risk buying
> Australian beef.
>
>
> They also sell free range lamb.
>
> Thanks Sandy