ARMIDALE, AUSTRALIA – Angus Australia announced its verification services for beef used in the McDonald’s Angus burger line ended Sept. 30 along with an 11-year partnership. Angus Australia, either directly or through its former subsidiary company, Certified Angus Group Pty Ltd, verified all the beef destined for McDonald’s Angus burgers sold at restaurants in Australia and New Zealand.

Instead, McDonald’s Australia “will introduce a new streamlined verification process to support the ongoing promotion and development of Angus beef in Australia and New Zealand,” a company spokesman said.

The new verification system was implemented Sept. 1 New Zealand and will start Oct. 1 in Australia. Chicago-based Fulton Market Group (FMG), an agribusiness logistics and supply chain company which has operations in the United States and Australia, will administer the verification program, along with McDonald’s extensive network of accredited and audited beef abattoirs, the company said.

“The new independent verification framework will allow McDonald’s to continue to source large volumes of high-quality Angus beef for its Australian and New Zealand Restaurants, as well as McDonald’s Global export markets.

“Australian and New Zealand beef also comprises a large percentage of beef that’s used in McDonald’s Global system, ensuring that Angus beef will remain an important part of the beef supply chain in many international markets.”

Liz Pearson, commercial supply chain manager at Angus Australia, said “Whilst we understand that McDonalds will continue to offer the Angus burger range, Angus Australia will unfortunately no longer be involved in the verification of the integrity of the breed claim for this range. To that end, Angus Australia can no longer provide assurances that the beef in these burgers is actually Angus,”

“Although the Angus verification program will discontinue, Angus Australia thanks McDonalds Australia, supply chain companies MAC Pacific, AgriFoods Global Pty Ltd and Fulton Market Group and their suppliers into this program for their confidence in the Angus breed and their role in taking the Angus brand to new heights,” she said.

Pearson said the partnership with McDonald’s transformed the fast-food sector in Australia and New Zealand while building household recognition of the Angus beef brand.

“As well as adding to the quality and diversity of the McDonald’s restaurant range and generating enormous benefits to McDonald’s and its consumers, the Angus burger program has also contributed to increasing in the value of the whole carcass and boosting the demand for Angus cattle, generating more money in the pocket of Australian Angus producers,” Pearson said.

“It is rare for a corporation like McDonald’s to have a partnership with an industry organization such as has been achieved with Angus Australia,” she added. “We look forward to new opportunities to collaborate with industry influencers for the benefit of consumers and Angus breeders alike.”