Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

Dr. TanDY

Bogus Aussie beef sold in Indonesia
Thursday May 11 17:35 AEST

Source: AAP

Authorities say they have stamped out an Indian-based racket that had been selling bogus meat masquerading as prime Aussie beef in Indonesia.

Meat and Livestock Australia officials said the scam had threatened Australia's $A30 million beef trade with Indonesia.

Indian buffalo meat labelled "from Australia and New Zealand" began trickling onto Indonesian docks three years ago, wrapped in cartons printed to look like exports from Australia.

Authorities at the time suspected much of the meat was being repackaged in Malaysia in a lucrative international operation which also targeted beef exports from the US and Canada.

Around 60 container loads of cheap, low-grade meat worth more than $A17 million were at one stage sitting on Indonesian waterfronts awaiting distribution to shops and supermarkets.

Australian exporters estimated up to $A50 million in lost trade over several years.

The problem grew so large that the federal government sent quarantine officers to major ports to help local officials spot fake product.

But Tim Kelf, the head of South-East Asian markets for Meat and Livestock Australia, said the trade had now been eradicated with the help of Indonesian customs and quarantine officers, who several months ago burned several container loads.

"We believe the product has been virtually eradicated," he told AAP.

"It's been out for a while now, probably the last six months."

As well as threatening Australia's market for high-quality, fresh chilled meat, the Indian product had also risked bringing in foot-and-mouth disease which could have destroyed the even more lucrative market for live cattle, worth $A215 million last year, Kelf said.

That prospect had frightened authorities in both Indonesia and Australia.

"We are pretty sure its gone now because if it wasn't we would know about it," he said.

"We have people on the ground there and even our customers there will tell us, report the other bloke who is selling the cheaper meat, if they need to.

"There are enough differences that we can look at both products and know where it's from."

Australian meat is a premium product at many supermarkets in Indonesia - a market of 220 million people.

Meanwhile, several Indonesian supermarkets said they had seen no impact from calls for a consumer boycott of Australian food products following Canberra's recent decision to grant temporary visas to 42 Papuan separatists - a ruling which has stirred widespread anger in Indonesia.