Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to end the permanent presence of meat inspectors in abattoirs and meat-cutting plants.

European Commission (EC) food hygiene legislation sets out official controls for premises requiring veterinary supervision. For abattoirs, these requirements are prescriptive and largely require that official veterinarians are present while animals are being processed. Official veterinarians may be supported by inspectors for certain activities, such as inspection of carcasses and offal, though responsibility for producing safe meat rests with the food business operator.

In poultry abattoirs, slaughterhouse staff may carry out inspection duties, though they must be working under the supervision of an official veterinarian.

The EC is considering future changes to official controls in place for meat. These may bring further flexibilities and place greater responsibility on food business operators to produce safe meat. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) fully supports modernised approaches which better meet our current understanding of the risks, which are mainly microbiological, and ensuring proportionate and effective safeguards for consumers, animal health and welfare.

There has not been a permanent presence of officials in cutting plants since 2006, and, even before then, attendance was not on a full-time basis. The FSA carries out audits of these premises on a risk-based frequency, with unannounced inspections taking place in between audits to monitor standards in place.