Due to halal issues, Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services has suspended imports of beef and mutton from Australian suppliers.
Information from the Department of Veterinary Services shows that it conducted an audit inspection in May: 'Due to halal issues, imports from 3 Australian suppliers have been suspended. These companies have halal certificates, but during the recent audit, our auditors at JAKIM found some situations that did not conform to Malaysia's halal standards, which led to the suspension of imports.'
A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Agriculture said that on 18 August Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services updated on its website the list of companies that passed inspection to export meat products to Malaysia. The list shows that 3 Australian meat-product export companies were suspended, a suspension related to a re-review in May. The department is working closely with Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services to resolve the issues found in the audit, and the suspension will be lifted once Malaysia is satisfied.
The spokesperson did not disclose the names of the suspended companies, saying: 'This issue is sensitive in the commercial field. When a change occurs in a particular market, the department works directly with the affected bodies and the regulators of the overseas market to resolve the issue as early as possible.'
Newspaper reports say that Thomas Foods International is one of the manufacturers involved; it is one of Australia's largest beef and mutton exporters.
A weekly reported that Thomas Foods International's chief operating officer David McKay said the company does not yet fully understand the reason for the suspension.
He added that Thomas Foods International hopes to have the opportunity to restore access to the Malaysian market in early October.
'We cannot do anything (about the reason for the suspension) until we see the final report (from the Malaysian authorities)... but we have learned that Malaysia will conduct a re-review at the beginning of the month,' McKay said.
In terms of beef export volume for the 12 months to August, Malaysia is the tenth-largest destination.