The Falkland Islands Meat Company operates from Sand Bay, which is an EU accredited export meat plant (designation FK-01) and is approved for mutton, lamb and beef exports. Export production is carried out between January and April/May and the local market is supplied year-round with lamb, mutton, pork and beef. Salted lamb and sheep skins are also exported.
Lamb and mutton meat is produced to the highest standards using HACCP and company Quality Control procedures. The plant boasts state-of-the-art production control systems which provide real-time information and maintains full carcase and product traceability back to the farms of origin.
The plant undergoes regular audits; from export customers, veterinary authorities and more recently by EU inspectors in February 2011, all designed to ensure that food safety, hygiene and other operational practices are carried out to the appropriate standards.
In mid-March 2011 the new cold store became operational, which along with a encouraging increase in livestock supply for the season, all helps to ensure that FIMCo is moving forward and on the way to being fully self-sustainable.
The next phases of the upgrade are planned for this winter and should be fully operation for the 2012 export season. Improvements are planned to be made to the lairage and skins shed and for two new sheep chillers to be constructed, along with upgrades to the slaughter lines. This will allow more sheep & lambs to be processed daily, in a cost effective manner and also for the harvesting of red offals for export.
For more information, visit www.falklands-meat.com.
