What is the Meat Docs System

Meat Docs is a supply chain collaboration between meat exporters, meat importers, industry bodies and government.

The Meat Docs System operates as an independent information service portal that securely holds meat consignment, regulatory compliance documentation and product information. This information is used to facilitate the global trade of meat while lowering individual company costs and increasing supply chain efficiency.

Being independent, global trade standards based and a collaboration between many trading partners ensures there is no commercial collusion or commercial bias. This high level of independence also provides the ability for Meat Docs to work collaboratively with government and industry bodies to continue to improve supply chain efficiencies.

Why is the Meat Docs System important to the meat industry

In the commercial world of trade, businesses compete on product quality, specifications, availability and price. Successful businesses don’t compete on supply chain standards. To conduct efficient global trade, businesses must speak a common language along the supply chain. This common trading language is the global supply chain standards for product numbering, bar coding and information transfer.

When businesses try and use their own propriety numbering, barcoding and other standards they soon find that they can’t communicate easily with their trading partners. They find there is a huge duplication of effort, and high error rates due with manual documentation and data entry errors.

The Meat Docs System provides the tools, standards and secure trade information service portal for businesses in the global meat industry to conduct trade using a common language.

What information does the Meat Docs System contain

The information that is contained in the Meat Docs portal is uploaded by meat processing companies and meat exporters. The uploaded information is the same information that can be accessed on the physical carton/case/carcase and the regulatory documentation such as a Health Certificate, Bill of Lading, label specification, Certificate of Analysis, commercial invoices and shipping manifests. Commercially sensitive information such as commercial invoices have restricted access and are only accessible to authorised organisations. The Meat Docs industry portal is accessed by supply chain participants and regulatory authorities to determine the authenticity, verification and traceability of meat products.

Who uses the Meat Docs System

There are three different groups that access the Meat Docs System:

1. Meat Processors, Meat Exporters and 3rd Party Cold Storage Facilities - Who enter and upload information into Meat Docs Portal.
2. Meat Buyer, Meat Import Inspection Facilities, 3rd Party Cold Storage Facilities and Meat End Users – Who access information held in the Meat Docs Portal.
3. Government and Regulatory Authorities - Who access information held in the Meat Docs Portal for verification and validation of consignments details.

Who pays to use the Meat Docs System

The company that uploads the information for a consignment or shipment is the company that pays a fee per message to use Meat Docs. This may be a Meat Processor, Meat Exporter or 3rd Party Cold Store that packs a container and uploads the message on behalf of a Meat Exporter. Each of the authorised and registered companies along the supply (Meat Buyer, Meat Import Inspection Facilities, 3rd Party Cold Storage Facilities and Meat End Users) can access the message for free.

How Does the Meat Docs System Work?

Companies register to use the Meat Docs System and once authorised they can access the Meat Docs portal. The Meat Processors, Meat Exporters and 3rd Party Cold Storage Facilities can enter and upload information, PDFs and images about consignments such as Health Certificate details, Bill of Lading, label specification, Certificate of Analysis, commercial invoices, shipping manifests and even each case/carton/carcase barcode, if required. Ideally this information is automatically uploaded by the company's IT management system but can also be manually entered and PDFs uploaded. The information that is entered or uploaded to the Meat Docs System is held in a secure standards-based industry cloud portal. The uploaded message information can be accessed by the meat buyers, import inspection facility and end user to meet commercial requirements and the requirements of FSIS Directives.

The Meat Docs program is based on the use UN/EDIFACT messaging standards, GS1 bar coding standards and GS1 EANCOM electronic message standards. These global standards do not replace existing regulatory requirements, they assist and supplement these requirements.