The APIQ Certification Policies require a Major Review to be conducted every fourth (4th) year. The Major Review involves a review of Standards, Policies and documentation. It plays an important role in ensuring the APIQ Program’s overall integrity, credibility and preparedness and ensures the APIQ Program continues to meet the needs of the pork supply chain.


The APIQ Program’s aim is to provide Quality Assurance system for Australian pig producers that is an effective risk management tool for their business, assists producers with market access and provides reassurance to consumers and other industry stakeholders. To help us do this we need to make sure we understand what the stakeholders need both now and into the future.

Scope of the Major Review

  • Review of the Free-Range definition and associated Standards
  • Review the JASANZ formula, (which applies to sites holding joint APIQ certification)
  • Incorporation of the work completed in the 2023 APIQ Minor Review, focused on removing duplication and enhancing the clarity of the existing Standards
  • A review and update of the full Certification Policies (CPs) document
  • A review of APIQ’s scope (regarding Standards and modules)
  • Review of the APIQ fee review process and exploration of options to ensure APIQ remains affordable for producers
  • An update of the Compliance Guide to promote consistency of audits, and to enhance producer and auditor understanding of the Standards, their intended outcome, and how to demonstrate compliance
  • A review and update of APIQ resources and templates to support the APIQ Program and its stakeholders, be that on farm, during audits, and/or as part of APIQ Management and APIQ Panel responsibilities.

There are 4 stages to this Major Review:

Stage 1 – Stakeholder engagement and collation of feedback (part 1) – this engagement will be largely through phone calls, virtual workshops, and surveys.
Stage 2 – Develop recommendations for update of APIQ Standards, Policies and Procedures. 
Stage 3 – Stakeholder engagement and collation of feedback (part 2) - this engagement will be conducted through face-to-face workshops with industry stakeholders in each state.
Stage 4 – Finalisation of recommended changes to APIQ Standards, Policies and Procedures. 

The Major Review aims to engage with stakeholders across the pork supply chain, and invite stakeholders to provide feedback or otherwise be involved in the review process. This includes but is not limited to, pig producers, retailers, processors, veterinarians, transporters, government staff, environmental consultants, and auditors.

We are looking for as much feedback as possible throughout this process and welcome responses to our survey:

If you would like to provide feedback outside of or in addition to the surveys, we also invite you to contact the APIQ team, or contact your Producer Relations team member.