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The South African Meat Industry Company (SAMIC) recently announced that Tom Westphal has been appointed as executive director of the company as of May 2024. Tom brings more than 30 years of experience in the food and feed industry to the table, having worked in technical, operational and commercial roles. He has worked closely with legislators on food regulations, certifications and food standards,” Dr John Purchase, chairperson of SAMIC, said.
SAMIC is a regulatory, independent, and impartial third party company that was originally established by the Red Meat Industry Forum of South Africa after the closing of the then Meat Board in November 1997. The National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) appointed SAMIC as an assignee for the application of sections 3(1)(a) and (b) and 8 of the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act 119 of 1990), and its amended regulations, with regards to the classification and marking of meat intended for sale in South Africa, as well as to oversee the implementation of the mentioned regulations.
The regulations prescribe the classification categories of carcasses and regulate or prohibit the use of certain indications and claims on carcasses and meat in connection with the sale thereof.
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Diversified services
While the above remains SAMIC’s core function, through its South African National Accreditation System accreditation and wide-ranging expertise, it has further diversified its service offering to independent brand auditing of quality indications in the broader meat industry. All these quality indications are registered with DALRRD. SAMIC also does independent and impartial hides and skins audits for export purposes under the auspices of the Animal Health Act, 2002 (Act 7 of 2002) at abattoirs, intermediate stores and at harbours. SAMIC furthermore does independent and impartial wool and mohair audits under the same Act. Please consult www.samic.co.za for more information on SAMIC.
“Quality assurance and quality control are pillars of Tom Westphal’s career experience and are a standing principle to manage and abide by. He deeply appreciates the impact of the cost implications and the benefits of quality and product standards from a regulatory and consumer perspective. He is a recognised authority on quality and food safety auditing, as well as has played a leadership role in the quality auditing system of South Africa (South African National Standards Committees), and South African food industry bodies. This all bodes well for the South African and global consumer of especially our superior meat and livestock products, as we endeavour to meet the high standards required by the consumer and legislation,” Dr Purchase said. – Press release, SAMIC
