Privatising meat inspections could be a race to the bottom, union says

Monday, 7 July 2025

The Government could be reviewing how it inspects the quality of domestic meat to give more power over the process to private businesses.

Union advocates say a potential review of Aotearoa's meat inspection regulations could be a “race to the bottom” for worker conditions and wages, even though no proposal has yet been confirmed by the Government.

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA) said the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was looking at giving more power to private meat processors to run in-house inspections.

A majority of inspections were conducted by state-owned inspection company AsureQuality which hired 650 staff and inspected seven million animals across 65 processing facilities every year on a commercial model, without taxpayer funding.

The meat inspection process ensured any blemishes or contaminants were removed from meat products before export or for sale in Aotearoa, which some private businesses had already undertaken themselves.

PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons told The Post its members had been advised by MPI that it was considering a proposal to shift inspections into the hands of private businesses which risked the jobs of existing AsureQuality staff.

Fleur Fitzsimons, national secretary of the Public Service Association, says meat inspectors have been advised that a review of the current standards are on the cards.

Although no review programme had yet been undertaken, PSA said existing AsureQuality workers had been advised that meat inspection changes were on the cards.

On behalf of inspection workers, she said: “They do not want to see these plans for privatisation go ahead … We know it will be a race to the bottom for wages and work conditions.”

But MPI said it had not proposed any changes to the meat inspection regime yet.

Deputy director-general of NZ Food Safety Vincent Arbuckle told The Post in a statement that MPI was working with industry and AsureQuality to develop “a programme of work to review the inspection and supervision requirements for exported New Zealand meat”.

Deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety Vincent Arbuckle says no review programme is in place yet to change meat inspection processes.

“No changes to the current regime have even been proposed yet,” Arbuckle said. “We are investigating models for meat inspection and verification that would allow New Zealand to maintain our high standards in a more flexible and efficient way.”

He said about 17% of private slaughter establishments had been undertaking company inspections for more than a decade with no food safety incidents.

“Similarly, other sectors such as our dairy sector successfully perform their own quality and food safety compliance with external verification from MPI appointed verifiers,” Arbuckle said.

However, PSA’s Fitzsimons said the union was concerned that MPI was intervening in an already efficient process that kept workers and high quality meat at the centre.

AsureQuality currently conducts a majority of inspections around the country for meat exports and domestic sales.

“It is clear despite what MPI says, there is an agenda for the privatisation of meat inspection services in New Zealand – they should come clean about it,” she said.

“It’s an example of the Government looking to line the pockets of meat companies and drive down costs and services of consumers here and overseas.”

She said removing the current independence of inspection meant meat companies could not apply pressure on inspectors to cut down inspection times or costs for the process, which was a risk if the process was bypassed.

“

“We have a trusted, long-standing meat inspection service in New Zealand. The move away from independent meat inspectors will risk New Zealand’s multibillion export industry,” Fitzsimons said.

Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva says the current meat inspection process is resource intensive and has not kept up with the evolving sector.

PSA had not received any detail on how any changes to meat inspections would come into force.

Major meat processors and exporters including Silver Fern Farms, AFFCO, Wilson Hellaby’s and ANZCO declined or did not respond to requests for comment.

Silver Fern Farms deferred its comment to the Meat Industry Association (MIA).

AsureQuality chief executive Kim Ballinger says the group is working with MPI and the industry to consider any future plans to review domestic meat inspections.

MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said any changes would still mean final inspections would be in the hands of Government employees.

“The current meat inspection model is resource intensive and has not evolved along with other parts of the sector. This programme is about giving meat processors and exporters responsibility and ownership of their own risks,” Karapeeva said in a statement.

“No processor would risk compromising the safety or reputation of New Zealand red meat or jeopardising market access by failing to manage these risks.”

She said the review programme by MPI was an opportunity to consider other meat inspection options and provide better career progression “for the thousands of staff employed by red meat processors.”

AsureQuality chief executive Kim Ballinger could not provide details on the review as the programme had not started yet.

“We’re continuing to prioritise collaboration with our people and unions, customers, MPI, industry bodies and our other partners, to support New Zealand’s red meat sector in providing the high quality, safe meat products that it’s renowned for globally,” Ballinger said.

MPI’s Arbuckle said any proposed changes would be subject to a formal consultation process and would provide training and transition periods for the industry.

“Any change would come with a transition and phasing in period to give the sector and people time to adjust and to ensure that New Zealand’s high food safety standards are maintained as a bottom line,” Arbuckle said.

“Possible changes are being carefully considered to ensure all inspectors have the appropriate training and experience to carry out the task.

“New Zealand enjoys an excellent reputation for food safety and suitability – this cannot be jeopardised and will not change,” he said.

The consultation process was likely to take the remainder of the year and would come into force next year.