FSA struggling with skills gap post-Brexit says report
Authorities such as the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are struggling with a skills gap after the United Kingdom left the European Union, according to a report.
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee said there is a problem for agencies in recruiting and keeping the skills needed to regulate effectively in their new and expanded roles.
There is a shortage of veterinarians to monitor food safety and animal welfare in abattoirs and toxicologists to assess food risks and chemical safety – increasing the risks for consumers.
A lack of vets in abattoirs driven by increased demand led to temporary measures in autumn 2021 to ensure there was enough staff. FSA is reviewing the pay and conditions to make the career more attractive. About 95 percent of vets provided by Eville and Jones are from abroad.
The FSA has written to abattoir and cutting plant owners about potential changes for how controls are delivered through official veterinarians.
Junior Johnson, FSA director of operations, said: “Despite challenges in veterinary recruitment, the agency has maintained full and ongoing service delivery of official controls in abattoirs and there has been no interruption in service to date.
“Official veterinarians are however, in very short supply, and we are working with partners to find solutions to what is a systemic resourcing issue so that the FSA can continue to provide a reliable service to industry and uphold food safety, protect animal health and welfare, and enable businesses to sell food domestically and abroad.”
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