Who is audited and what does it involve?
All LPA accredited producers – from large scale operators to hobby farmers – may be audited. Subjects for audits are selected at random from the database of LPA accredited producers. Approximately 2,000 audits are conducted each year.
Producers selected for audits will receive an LPA Audit Notification Pack containing information to help prepare for the audit. They are then contacted by an auditor to organise a time for the auditor to conduct the audit.
During the audit, the auditor will check how records are maintained and how food safety, biosecurity and animal welfare management is being carried out. The auditor may accompany the producer on an inspection of property facilities relating to food safety. Parts of the farm that have been identified as contaminated with persistent chemicals may also be visited to review the management systems implemented at these locations.
Qualified auditors from AUS-MEAT conduct the on-farm audits for LPA.
Why does LPA need audits?
On-farm audits are conducted each year to ensure the management systems introduced by livestock producers are complying with LPA rules and standards. They act as a check of Australia’s red meat integrity system.
How to prepare for an audit
Producers should review on-farm practices against the audit checklist included in the LPA Audit Notification Pack to ensure their operation is up to date. This will help identify any areas that may need attention before the audit, ensuring the process is as smooth as possible.
Where LPA audits have been scheduled in the flood affected regions, LPA auditors will work with producers to reschedule these audits to an appropriate time in the future.
Producers will be audited after the water subsides.
No. It is a condition of accreditation that LPA producers agree to participate in the audit process. Refusal to participate may result in LPA accreditation being withdrawn.
If the issue is minor, the auditor may record an ‘observation’ which means that the producer should consider taking action to improve the relevant practice.
If the issue is more significant, the auditor may raise a ‘corrective action request’ which means that the producer needs to do something to ensure compliance with LPA requirements. This action will be followed up.
Failure to address problems identified may lead to a producer losing their accreditation. Where a critical issue is identified, producers can be suspended immediately.