Press Release - Dominance of large processing operations in Scotland not taken into account by FSA's inspection fee system

Dominance of large processing operations in Scotland not taken into account by FSA’s inspection fee system.

If Scotland had its own meat inspection system the inflated surveillance costs faced by Scottish prime stock finishers and meat plant operators would be reduced, said the National Beef Association.

Which has already made clear its objections to Food Standards Agency (FSA) plans to acquire another £31.8 million a year to cover the cost/income shortfall in its inefficient, UK-wide, abattoir hygiene and animal welfare inspection operation.

It now wishes to underline the point that Scotland’s unusually high proportion of large processing companies means that the inspection costs faced by the FSA’s Meat Hygiene Service could be less than half of those required elsewhere in the UK where large numbers of widely scattered medium and small plants dominate the infrastructure.

“Scottish prime stock finishers would not face the threat of a 60 per cent lift in MHS cost deductions if Scotland had a meat inspection system that properly reflected the scale and distribution of its processing structures and the greater efficiency of its operating conditions,” explained NBA director, Kim Haywood.

“It is obviously easier and cheaper to inspect processing operations in a large plant than it is in several much smaller ones with the same overall level of throughput - but the FSA’s inspection fee arrangements do not reflect this. If they did it may even be possible for current MHS charges in Scotland to be reduced.”

“There can be no doubt that the current FSA charging system is autocratic and outdated. The FSA should accept that Scotland is justified in asking for a substantial downward revision of current inspection charges and at the same time open the way for a simultaneous re-structuring of Scottish operations as well as those elsewhere in the UK.”

“The dominant method in other EU countries is for slaughterers themselves to employ technical specialist to maintain abattoir standards and these in turn are answerable to a single, independent, Official Veterinary Surgeon, paid by a government agency like the FSA and who is always on site.”

“If this simpler, cheaper, system can work elsewhere it can work across Scotland and other parts of the UK as well,” Ms Haywood added.

For more information contact:
Kim Haywood NBA director.  Tel. 0131 336 1754/07967 698936