Food safetyBritons worry that new EU food inspection rules would risk U.K. food safety
The European Food Safety Authority(EFSA) in June will introduce a new Europe-wide food inspection regime, arguing that there is a need to modernize the food inspection process. The EFSA plans to reduce seventy pieces of detailed regulation down to a framework of five overarching laws to “reduce the burden on business.”Among other things, the new rules will replace laws that list diseases banned from the meat supply with a more general requirement on safety, health, and welfare. The EFSA claims that many of the diseases and parasites inspectors currently find are harmless to humans and are not considered major animal diseases. U.K. consumer advocates, meat inspectors, and veterinarians say the new rules threaten the safety of the U.K. food supply.
Food inspectors in the United Kingdom are warning that more infected animals could enter the U.K. food chain if legislators adopt new regulations which transfer the responsibility of meat inspection to slaughterhouses.
Reports issued by the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) claim that between 2012 and 2014, more than 560,000 cases of milkspot were identified in pigs; nearly three million chickens contaminated with feces during slaughter were stopped from entering the food chain, and that inspectors identified more than two million instances of tapeworm in red meat.
Camille Perrin, senior food policy officer for the European consumers’ organization, BEUC, warns that the proposed regulations simply hands over the policing of meat to the food industry. “Governments are cutting back on budgets for food controls and so some are pushing for inspections to be carried out by abattoir staff themselves. This is not the way to go. They have to remain independent and free of conflict of interests.”
Unison, the union representing government meat inspectors and veterinarians, warns that new rules from the European Commission will diminish inspectors’ ability to monitor the quality of meat. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) argues that it needs to modernize the food inspection process and plans to reduce seventy pieces of detailed regulation down to a framework of five overarching laws to “reduce the burden on business” and “improve consumer protection.” The FSA notes that slaughterhouses would still be required to produce meat which is “fit for human consumption” and that mandatory inspection of all carcasses is not the most effective way to identify tainted meat.
The Guardian reports that until now, inspectors were required to cut into pig heads to check for hidden diseases, but new regulations being introduced in June will replace the physical check with a visual inspection. According to the FSA, physical inspection of pigs could actually spread harmful bacteria. “The new approach to pigmeat inspection across the EU will improve consumer protection,” the agency said.
A further proposal from the European Commission will replace laws that list diseases banned from the meat supply with a more general requirement on safety, health, and welfare. The EFSA claims that many of the diseases and parasites inspectors currently find are harmless to humans and are not considered major animal diseases.
Unison’s national secretary for government service groups, Heather Wakefield said that the new regulations will result in “food that repulses us being dished up on our plates.” She added, “most people do not know that there are a small group of meat inspectors and vets that keep them safe from harmful and repulsive additions to our sausages, Sunday roasts and beef pies. They work in some of the most awful conditions in blood and animal discharges every day. They are always the first to come under attack, not only from the food business operators, but also from our government.”
