The forum, which represents the entire red meat industry chain, from primary producer through the abattoir to the meat trader and eventually the consumer, has previously brought certain fraudulent and unscrupulous importing and illegal labelling practice by a Cape Town importer to the attention of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the National Prosecuting Authority who took little or no steps with regards hereto. It was at this stage that the RMIF successfully took legal steps to interdict this importer.
Legislative measures are in place to enable the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the local government environmental practitioners within the Department of Health, to test meat products in butcheries routinely for ingredients and species, verify correct labelling practices and to act against transgressors and bring them to book. The RMIF has previously brought these concerns before the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture on two occasions. The Department eventually undertook to establish an Inter-Ministerial Committee to investigate imported and domestically produced meat products.
The Red Meat industry uses an independent auditing company to do meat inspections nationally at red meat abattoirs to ensure that meat is safe for the consumer. Once the meat products leave the abattoir, they are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health which has sufficient legislation at its disposal to enforce compliance at point of sale.
