Wildlife Breeders Journal 2016

game meat
B. Accreditation of the game farm – as
a natural, free roaming farm, free of
pesticides and residues
C. Accreditation of the harvesting teamhunting/harvesting
teams to comply with
Standard to ensure hygienic slaughter
practices
D. Accreditation of the slaughter facility
(mobile or permanent structures)
E. Accreditation of the processing plant (to
comply with health and hygiene standards
when secondary meat processing is
conducted according to the Department
of Health)
WRSA has also engaged in several workshops
and meetings with the following retailers:
Spar, PNP, Shoprite and Woolworths to
involve their specific requirements and to
enter into memorandums of understanding to
ensure good quality and safe game meat on
the local retailers’ shelves. Furthermore, the
training of game meat inspectors/examiners
and the basic meat hygiene training for
slaughter and facility workers are managed
and prescribed by WRSA. Below is the policy
statement that WRSA released to the media
upon the official launching of the Standard
in July 2015:
“Policy statement”
The president of Wildlife Ranching South
Africa and its council (WRSA) representing
game ranchers in South Africa and being the
industry’s official mouthpiece commit itself
hereby:
To actively promote the requirements and
rules of the branding standard for game meat
and to make the necessary funds and human
resources available in order to ensure that
the standard can effectively be implemented
throughout the Republic of South Africa
where game for local consumption is
harvested.
WRSA commits itself to ensure that qualified
professional consultants will be appointed
for the implementation of the standard and
that their integrity will be impeccable.
WRSA commits itself to an annual revision
of the policy, incorporating future changes in
all applicable National Acts and Regulations.
The council is also committed to ensure
that training of personnel involved in the
implementation of the standard will be done
in such a way to ensure that it will enhance
the product quality as well as the standard of
living of the personnel involved.
WRSA furthermore, commits itself to ensure
an appeal process for all participants,
governed by an impartial body.
• WRSA is committed to ensure that the
logo used in the branding of game meat
will become the symbol of quality and
safety assurance to the consumer in
South Africa. The logo symbolizes the
following:
• Game meat is consistent with the
policy of green economy advocated by
the organization.
• That the meat is derived from natural
free roaming animals in their natural
state and comply with ISO 14000.
• That the animals were harvested
according to the rules and regulations
as prescribed under the Animal Anticruelty
Act and the Livestock Welfare
Committee Codes of Practice for the
handling of animals.
• That no growth stimulants or
-promotants, antibiotics or any
chemicals/additives that could harm
the consumer are present in the
product.
• That the supply chain of harvesting game
meat subscribes to an international ISO
9001 and ISO 22000 mark of quality
assurance.
• That the auditing is done in such
a manner as to ensure the highest
integrity to protect the WRSA standard.
In addition, the WRSA code of conduct for all
its members includes the following section
on game meat that prescribes the labelling of
game meat. This is a first as no requirements
are available in Regulation R146 on Labelling
for game meat (R146 as promulgated under
the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectant
Act 54 of 1972).
“Game meat safety”
4.1 With regard to all types of game
meat (i) production, and (ii) meat processing
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