FSA accused of hindering progress on small abattoirs
Accusations that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is dragging its feet on support for small abattoirs gathered pace this week, after it rejected proposals for a dual system of meat controls for export and domestic consumption.
Introducing separate regulatory regimes would exempt smaller processors from some of the more onerous regulations required for those which export, but in a new update, the regulator outlined its concerns about the impact of these changes on trade.
The agency claimed that because animal by-products which are sold domestically may end up as ingredients in products which are exported further down the supply chain, the introduction of a dual system would require agreement from international partners and uptake could be limited.
It also suggested the meat industry in Northern Ireland would be put at a competitive disadvantage because the Brexit protocol requires producers to apply EU controls, and warned complications around compliance and traceability within the UK market could arise if there were different regimes in England, Scotland and Wales.
Plans for a dual system were discussed at a meeting attended by Farming Minister Mark Spencer, the FSA, parliamentarians and industry bodies last week.
Christopher Price, chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, said: “It would be useful if the FSA could give some indication of what they can do to help the sector, rather than constantly coming up with reasons for doing nothing.
“For the first time in a long time, in Mark Spencer, we have a Minister who seems to understand the crisis in the sector and who wants to do something about it. AHDB already says we are losing 10 small abattoirs a year.
“But that means having to take difficult decisions, recognising it will not always be possible to please every organisation and every vested interest.”
Abi Kay / Farmers Guardian
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