Ageing of Beef Technical Guideline

About this guideline

This technical guideline explains wet ageing and dry ageing of beef, including the regulatory requirements and approval process for ageing meat.

It supports food businesses to understand how ageing affects meat safety and wholesomeness and how to comply with relevant Australian Standards. This guideline does not replace the need to understand and comply with the Standards referred to throughout.

Who this guideline is for

This guideline is for:

PrimeSafe‑licensed meat businesses
meat processors intending to wet age or dry age beef
businesses seeking approval to age meat
quality assurance and food safety personnel

Summary

Ageing is a process during which microbes and enzymes act on meat to break down connective tissue, tenderise the meat and develop flavour.

There are two ageing methods:

Wet ageing – beef is vacuum‑packed in plastic and stored in a temperature‑controlled environment for days or weeks
Dry ageing – beef is stored unpacked or in water‑permeable bags in a temperature‑ and humidity‑controlled environment for several weeks

Aged meat is sold with the intention that it is cooked before consumption.

Wholesomeness of meat

The Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption (AS 4696) requires meat to be wholesome. Wholesome meat is not likely to cause disease and is free from contamination or defects that consumers would find objectionable.

Loss of wholesomeness may include:

lack of dryness
discolouration
visible mould
sliminess
objectionable odour

Meat used for ageing must be fresh, wholesome and of suitable quality before ageing begins.

Approval to manufacture aged meat

All PrimeSafe‑licensed businesses intending to manufacture dry‑aged meat for human consumption must:

comply with AS 4696
notify PrimeSafe of their intent to commence producing dry‑aged meat
obtain approval of premises and equipment by a PrimeSafe inspector

If intending to wet age a species other than beef (for example lamb, mutton or pork), the product must be commonly traded internationally and supported by validation data demonstrating wholesomeness.

If intending to dry age a species other than beef, validation data must demonstrate microbiological quality, pH and water activity throughout the process.

If a business uses the Usual Parameters in this guideline, an approved CAB auditor may consider approval of a revised food safety program. If a business proposes variations to these parameters, it must submit the amended food safety program directly to PrimeSafe.

Businesses must comply with AS 4696, including requirements for:

documented ageing procedures
HACCP plans
validation and records
controls to ensure only wholesome aged meat leaves the premises
removal of unfit meat from the food chain

Usual Parameters (limits)

Dry ageing limits

Temperature: not more than 3 °C
Relative humidity: not more than 85%
Air velocity: not less than 0.2 m/s

Wet ageing limits

Temperature: not more than 5 °C

Frozen or thawed meat must not be aged.

Wet ageing and dry ageing methods

Ageing relies on enzymatic and microbial activity to tenderise meat and develop flavour.

Dry ageing may involve visible mould growth early in the process. Moulds may be present without dominating the surface or forming a ‘furry’ appearance. The rate and appearance depend on temperature, relative humidity and ageing time.

Ageing time may range from 14 days to more than 90 days, depending on the intended product quality. Parameters and ageing time must be defined together and validated to demonstrate wholesomeness.

The freshness, quality and wholesomeness of meat before ageing is essential. Fresh unpackaged carcases and meat may be stored for a short time, provided the meat remains wholesome.
You must not dry age frozen or thawed meat, as the required enzymatic activity will not occur.
During dry ageing, bacteria, yeasts and moulds develop on the surface of the meat. Moulds are likely to be present early in the process and may grow without dominating or developing a ‘furry’ appearance.
The rate and appearance of surface growth depend on the process parameters, particularly temperature and relative humidity, and on the length of the ageing period. Some products may be dry aged for around 14 days, while others may be aged for 90 days or longer.
You must define the dry ageing time and process parameters together. Each combination produces a specific product quality and must be validated to demonstrate that the product remains wholesome.
You can determine the shelf life of trimmed and portioned dry‑aged meat ready for retail sale based on product appearance and odour. For further guidance, see the Shelf Life and Labelling Requirements for Meat Products Technical Guideline.
Dry ageing controls
Temperature
You may use a storage temperature between ‑0.5 °C and 3 °C. At this maximum temperature, moulds known to produce toxins will not grow.
You must ensure the room or cabinet reaches the required temperature before loading product. Meat introduced for ageing should be close to the required temperature so the room or cabinet temperature remains stable.
You must record temperature daily throughout the ageing process.
Relative humidity (RH)
You must control relative humidity to restrict bacterial growth and encourage the growth of yeasts and moulds by drying the meat surface and forming a crust.
A relative humidity of 75% to 85% is recommended. You must not use higher relative humidity, as it may cause spoilage before ageing is complete.
You must ensure the room or cabinet reaches the required relative humidity before loading product and record RH daily throughout the ageing process.
Air flow
You must adequately separate portions of meat to allow efficient and controlled air flow between each portion.
A desirable air velocity of 0.2 to 0.5 m/s can be achieved using an appropriately designed refrigeration system and fans.
Applying higher airflow at the start of the dry ageing process may assist early crust development by reducing surface water activity.
Cross‑contamination controls
You must not conduct dry ageing in chillers used for fresh meat.
You must use purpose‑built rooms or cabinets for dry ageing.
You must segregate trimming and preparation of dry‑aged product for packaging and sale from areas used for fresh meat.
Antibacterial strategies
Some facilities use UV treatment or air filtration systems. If you use these systems, you must operate them in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.
The use of antibacterial rinses before dry ageing is discouraged, as these treatments may alter the microbial ecology of the meat surface. If you propose to use antibacterial treatments, you must validate and obtain approval for their use.
Wet ageing is a storage process that occurs after a carcase is broken down or boned. The wet ageing process begins when meat is packaged under vacuum and stored.
All chilled meat exported from Australia undergoes wet ageing.
Meat remains wholesome while under vacuum until it develops a sour or cheesy odour when the package is opened. Once cooked, wet‑aged meat may develop a flavour similar to liver.
The Meat & Livestock Australia shelf‑life calculator can be used to:
- predict the shelf life of meat while in vacuum packaging, and
- predict the shelf life of meat once removed from vacuum and packed ready for sale.
For labelling requirements, see the Shelf Life and Labelling Requirements for Meat Products Technical Guideline.
The freshness, quality and wholesomeness of meat before ageing is essential. Fresh unpackaged carcases and meat may be stored for a short time, provided the meat remains wholesome.
Frozen or thawed meat must not be aged, as the required enzymatic activity will not occur.
Wet ageing controls
Temperature
You must store meat used for wet ageing at a temperature of no more than 5 °C.
You must record the temperature throughout the ageing process in accordance with your food safety program. This ensures the meat remains wholesome and complies with the requirements of the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption (AS 4696).
Product testing is part of:
setting up a new ageing process, and
checking the process each year.
The Food Standards Code does not set microbiological limits for aged meat. However, testing helps show that your process produces safe and wholesome meat.
Testing wet‑aged meat
At the start of ageing
Test for:
- Total Viable Count (TVC) using laboratory conditions of 25 °C for 4 days
- Escherichia coli (E. coli)
At the end of ageing
Test for:
Total Viable Count (TVC) (25 °C for 4 days) when the meat is repacked for sale.
Take five 10‑gram samples for testing. Laboratories may combine the samples for testing.
You can use TVC results to estimate shelf life using the Meat & Livestock Australia shelf‑life calculator.
Results at the start of ageing should be within the normal range for fresh meat.
Testing dry‑aged meat
At the start of ageing
Test for:
Total Viable Count (TVC) (25 °C for 4 days)
E. coli
Yeasts and moulds
At the end of ageing
Test both:
the surface crust, and
the trimmed meat ready for sale
Test for:
Total Viable Count (TVC) (25 °C for 4 days)
E. coli
Yeasts and moulds
Take five 10‑gram samples. Laboratories may combine the samples for testing.
Results at the start of ageing should be within the normal range for fresh meat.
At the end of ageing:
E. coli must be less than 10 cfu/g
TVC and yeasts and moulds may vary
You must show that very little bacteria carries over to the meat sold to customers.

Guidance

The following resources provide additional guidance and background on dry ageing practices and food safety considerations:

Safety & emergencies

Updated 22 May 2026