Public outrage over the treatment of Australian cattle in Indonesian abattoirs has spilled into local sales of meat, with butchers reporting a drop in consumer demand after the exposure of animal cruelty.

The Australian Meat Industry Council, representing independent butchers who account for about half of all meat sales in the nation, reported a 10 to 15 per cent drop in sales since the ABC Four Corners program on cattle slaughtering in Indonesia aired at the start of last week.

"Seeing what was the appalling and abhorrent treatment of animals upsets people's values and makes them not want to eat meat," said AMIC spokesman Tom Maguire. "There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that people are turned away from the product, as well.

"What you saw on the program would not happen in an Australian abattoir," Mr Maguire said, referring to the ABC program that aired on Monday May 30. "The appalling cruelty that occurred is against Australian law."

Mr Maguire said Australian abattoirs have fully audited systems with animals stunned prior to slaughter.