Why Is Australian Lamb Better?

Quite simply, we believe there’s no better place on earth to raise lamb. As an island nation, our land is protected from illness and disease, while wide open spaces have allowed us to develop a natural approach to farming.

Aussie Lamb Stands Out from the Crowd

Our pasture-raised lamb has the freedom to roam and live a less stressful life, delivering a better result for everyone. It’s not only the location that makes our lamb so special. We are known for our high care and quality control standards, meaning you can enjoy the same great taste time and time again.

Australian lamb has exceptional eating quality and flavor. This makes it ideal for professional and home chefs. Additionally, it is available outside of the traditional UK lamb season.

It All Begins with Lamb Traceability on the Farm

Before leaving their home property, all sheep must have a National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) tag. NLIS is based on a ‘whole life’ tag that enables flock transactions to be recorded and transmitted electronically by the producer or processor. Held in a central database, this information allows the swift and effective tracing of sheep, distinguishing the NLIS from other lamb traceability systems around the world.

Sheep also need to travel with a completed National Vendor Declaration (NVD). This NVD holds the contact details of the vendor, the Property Identification Code (PIC), and the destination of the sheep.

Keeping track of sheep at the sales yard

When flocks are transported to a sales yard, stock agents must check that sheep are tagged and have an NVD. The agents then record the sheep transactions in the sale yard in the NLIS database.

Since each property a flock lives on also has a PIC, the history of the flock is recorded, including information about other flocks it met. This enables flock tracing for biosecurity, food safety, product integrity, and market access.

Identifying Sheep at the Processing Plant

Again, the sheep's tags and documentation are checked and recorded in the NLIS database. This ensures precise tracking through the processing plant from arrival to export.

Farming With Sustainability and the Environment at the Front of Mind

Born on the land they farm, Australian sheep producers understand the importance of protecting the earth. They are meeting the sustainability challenge by working within the Sheep Sustainability Framework. This framework monitors industry performance against priorities aligned with four themes. By planning, managing, and evaluating activities at an industry level, Australia can show that we are a global leader in sustainable sheep production.

Taking Lamb Animal Welfare to Heart

The United Kingdom and Australia have shared lamb animal welfare values. Lamb welfare is fundamental to the success of every farmer, transporter, and processor in Australia. Our welfare standards cover feed and water; handling and management (including transport); and humane processing.

Giving UK Consumers Easter Lamb All Year Round

Certain cuts of lamb, such as legs of lamb, are hugely popular in the UK, especially around the seasonal peaks of Easter and Christmas. But there is only a certain volume of legs available from producers in the UK.

Being 'down under' Australian producers can meet the demand for Easter lamb and legs for the Christmas table while the UK is in the depths of winter. All our lamb, including Easter lamb, is naturally processed with no added hormones, making it the perfect choice to supplement UK production.

Choosing Your Australian Lamb

We can meet the demand of conscious consumers with a range of free-range, pasture-raised, and grass-fed lamb. Most Australian lambs are born in Autumn and Spring, and fall into the following categories:

• Lamb that has no permanent incisor teeth and is around 12 months of age.

• Prime lamb is a term used in Australia to refer to lamb raised for meat.

• Spring lambs are sold in spring at approximately 12 months of age.

• Mutton is a sheep that has at least one permanent incisor tooth. Mutton is over 12 months of age and considered an adult sheep.

Halal Lamb

The Australian lamb industry also caters to the needs of different cultures. Most Australian processors produce Halal lamb and mutton, guaranteed to adhere to Islamic laws. Halal lamb and sheep are slaughtered under the Australian Government Supervised Halal Program by accredited Muslims, and the program is administered by the Federal Department of Agriculture.

About Aussie Beef & Lamb UK

Aussie Beef & Lamb (ABL) is a Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) owned brand that promotes Australian red meat. It denotes high-quality red meat that is raised, produced, and exported in safe, clean environments. It also demonstrates the highest standards of animal welfare, traceability, and food safety.

As well as marketing Australian products, MLA invests up to $5.7 million a year in environmental and sustainability research and development.