Certification of slaughterhouses is another contribution to enhancing Azores meat, says Regional Director for Agriculture
The Regional Director for Agriculture stated on Terceira Island that the certification of Azorean slaughterhouses to the ISO 22000 food quality and safety standard is another contribution to enhancing meat and leveraging the competitiveness of this sector.
"This certification will ensure the standardisation of regional slaughterhouses in terms of food safety, hygiene and good processing practices," said José Élio Ventura. Accordingly, "we will be able to respond to the demands of consumers and conquer new markets for a product of excellence, as is the case of the Azores meat."
The Regional Director for Agriculture spoke at the delivery ceremony of the certification of Terceira Slaughterhouse to the ISO 22000 standard, a voluntary process aimed at the external recognition that is necessary to meet the demands of the new times.
For José Élio Ventura, this certification is symbolic as far as the Terceira Slaughterhouse is the first in the Region to receive this type of certification.
The Regional Director reiterated that the Government intends to complete the certification process of all regional slaughterhouses in terms of food safety and quality until the end of this legislative period. In this regard, the Santa Maria and Pico slaughterhouses will soon receive the same certification.
José Élio Ventura considered that the regional meat industry should further explore and invest in market niches, such as organic meat production or meat bearing the Biosphere Reserve seal in the case of Flores, Corvo, Graciosa and São Jorge islands, which may contribute to the enhancement of meat and boost producers' income.
"The future of the meat sector also involves the investment in the cutting of meat in regional slaughterhouses to increase the export of meat in pieces and the major goal should be the export of meat ready for consumption," stated the government official. It is up to production to focus on improving the slaughter of carcasses and ensure a regular supply of meat to markets.
As for Terceira, the Regional Director pointed out that the island grew more than archipelago in terms of the overall export of meat, i.e., there was an increase of 19.3% between 2017 and 2018 while the archipelago stood at 15%.
In 2018, almost 73 thousand bovine carcasses were slaughtered and approved for consumption in regional slaughterhouses, representing an increase over 30% in the last five months.