About ISC

Our mission

ISC’s mission is to grow red meat value chain opportunities through integrity and information systems innovation. It is essential to enhance our systems and technologies to stay ahead of our global competitors, maintain our point of difference, and enable Australia’s red meat industry to capture price premiums from consumers and customers who are willing to pay more for higher levels of product assurance.

Our Strategy

ISC has developed the Integrity System 2025 and Beyond Strategy (IS2025 Plan) to prepare industry for the future and guide valuable investment into the integrity system and its programs.

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What we do

ISC manages and delivers the Australian red meat industry’s three key on-farm assurance and through-chain traceability programs

Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program
LPA National Vendor Declarations (LPA NVD) and
National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)

Together, these three elements ensure the food safety and traceability of Australian red meat for our domestic and international customers and protect Australia’s access to over 100 export markets.  ISC is also responsible for the development and delivery of MLA’s Digital Value Chain Strategy which will ensure the Australian red meat industry can make better use of existing and new data. The strategy will deliver improved feedback systems for producers including Livestock Data Link (LDL), along with conducting research and development that seeks to find the best digital technology and database management systems that will strengthen our integrity systems over time.

On-Farm Assurance - Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program

The LPA program is the Australian industry on-farm assurance program, providing evidence of livestock history and on-farm practices when transferring animals through the value chain. The seven requirements of LPA underpin market access for Australian red meat, providing customer assurance around food safety and ethical production. The LPA National Vendor Declarations (LPA NVD) is the declaration communicating the food safety status of every animal as it moves through the supply chain.

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Identification & Traceability - National Livestock ldentification System (NLIS)

NLIS is Australia's system for the identification and traceability of cattle, sheep and goats. The NLIS combines three elements to enable the lifetime traceability of animals: a visual or electronic ear tag, a Property Identification Code (PIC) for identification of physical location, and an online database to store and correlate the data.

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Data & Feedback

ISC is responsible for the development and delivery of significant components of MLA’s Digital Value Chain Strategy which will ensure the Australian red meat industry can make better use of existing and new data. The strategy will deliver improved feedback systems for producers including Livestock Data Link (LDL), along with conducting research and development that seeks to find the best digital technology and database management systems that will strengthen our integrity systems over time.

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How we are funded

Management of the integrity system is funded predominantly by industry levies, incorporating a mixture of both research and marketing levies. Income is also received from the sale of NVD books and the LPA accreditation fees ($66 including GST per PIC every three years). This income is allocated back into the program supporting education and extension activities related to improving awareness, understanding and adoption of best practices under the LPA program.

How we are governed

ISC is governed by a skills-based Board, responsible for providing advice and guidance on how policies and standards are incorporated into the delivery of the industry’s integrity systems.

The ISC Board receives advice and input from the Integrity Systems Taskforce on operational aspects of the system. The Taskforce includes representation from all peak industry councils across the supply chain including: Australian Lot Feeders’ Association, Cattle Council of Australia, Sheep Producers Australia and Goat Industry Council of Australia.

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The SAFEMEAT Partnership’s Integrity Systems Policy Group provides strategic and policy input into the integrity system. An Integrity Communications Working Group provides advice on communications and stakeholder engagement activities.

ISC also works closely with other industry stakeholders the Australian Meat Processor Corporation, Australian Meat Industry Council, LiveCorp and Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council.  

Learn more about our Stakeholders.

Our staff

ISC is managed by a CEO supported by a team of approximately 38 people with strong expertise in the integrity programs, database and analytical systems, balanced with significant red meat industry value chain experience. The ISC works closely with the broader MLA team.

Our achievements

ISC was launched following a recommendation by industry and government in 2015 through their SAFEMEAT partnership – that one company be given responsibility for delivering a fully integrated integrity system.

Since our establishment in 2016, ISC has set out to deliver on industry’s vision of a single entity delivering an integrated, efficient and effective red meat integrity system.

Learn more about our achievements to date.

ISO 9001 Certification

Integrity Systems Company has held an ISO 9001 Certification since 2009 (previously under NLIS Ltd) and is certified under the ISO 9001:2015 standard. The adoption of ISO 9001 certification supports our current programs in maintaining a high level of service to our stakeholders. The ISC Quality Management System aims to primarily reduce risk, improve customer satisfaction and promote a workplace culture of continual improvement.

The scope of the ISC Quality Management System is inclusive of the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) its database and accreditation program, the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) Program its database and audit program and the LPA National Vendor Declarations (LPA NVD) and Electronic NVD's database and document distribution.

In addition to the ISC Quality Management System we also require a number of suppliers and industry service providers across the NLIS, LPA and NVD programs to maintain an ISO 9001 certification. This requirement assists ISC in monitoring and working with our suppliers to better understand their processes and ensure continual improvement is maintained across the products and services provided to our stakeholders through third party suppliers.

The mission of Integrity Systems Company Ltd under our quality policy is to grow red meat value chain opportunities through integrity and information systems innovation. Integrity Systems Company Ltd aims to:

Operate the NLIS Database in accordance with the NLIS Terms of Use and the service agreements with the State and Territory Governments
Maintain and implement the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program for the red meat industry, including the underpinning of LPA rules and standards
Provide National Vendor Declarations (NVD) solutions for industry, including the delivery of the electronic NVD (eNVD) platform
Provide a high level of customer service for all stakeholders supporting the operation of the NLIS database, eNVD platform and LPA program in the provision of other services
Support industry and government in the ongoing development and administration of traceability, livestock identification and on-farm assurance systems including (LPA, NLIS and NVD’s)
Develop innovative solutions integrated with the databases traceability, identification and red meat assurance systems, and
Establish and maintain a suitable operating structure for delivery of the databases, on-farm assurance programs and associated support services.

Publications 