UK must lead on ‘real’ food safety, says AIMS chief

11 August 2025 — UK | The UK should lead real food safety reform, says Dr Jason Aldiss BEM, Executive Director of AIMS.

He argues the country still relies on checks designed for the 19th century, while today’s risks are microbial and often invisible.

“Traditional post-mortem inspection is scientifically obsolete,” said Aldiss. “We’re fighting Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter. You can’t see them. A poke-and-sniff check won’t find them.”

Why old checks fall short

These methods were built for diseases such as TB and trichinella. International bodies now back risk-based systems instead.
“Codex calls for outcome-focused controls,” Aldiss noted. “WOAH says old inspection does not address modern hazards. EFSA warns it can even spread contamination.”

Aldiss pointed to tools already in use overseas. In New Zealand, plants use Veritide’s fluorescence scanners to spot visible and invisible faecal contamination in real time.
“Machines don’t tire, don’t take breaks, and give data you can act on. In like-for-like trials, they beat human inspectors,” he said.

He also backed proven decontamination steps: hot-water washes, organic-acid rinses and steam-vacuuming. “These interventions can cut microbe levels by up to 99%. They should be standard, not optional.”

Five changes for UK regulators

Aldiss urged swift action:

Rewrite rules: replace visual-only checks with risk-based, outcome-led standards.
Invest: fund validation and rollout.
Mandate proven interventions where needed.
Retrain inspectors as tech-led auditors, not lesion hunters.
Lead at Codex and WOAH to push global reform.

“This isn’t deregulation,” he said. “It’s smart regulation. Protect consumers with science, not ceremony. The world is watching. The UK can set the pace or stay stuck in the past.”