Foodlaw-Reading
Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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FSA Consultation, 25 March 2014
A copy of the consultation document is available on this site. See: Changes to Pig Meat Inspection in June 2014
The purpose of this consultation is to seek stakeholder views on the practical application of the changes and to determine whether the FSA's assumptions are a fair reflection of costs, benefits and wider impacts for stakeholders. Responses are requested by: 6 May 2014
Who will this consultation be of most interest to?
Food business operators (FBOs) in FSA-approved pig meat establishments, pig farmers, officials working in pig meat establishments.
What is the subject of this consultation?
UK implementation of directly applicable European Union (EU) legislation that introduce changes to pig meat inspection that apply from June 2014. The changes include the visual inspection of pig carcasses and offal by officials at post mortem; a strengthened process hygiene criterion for salmonella; and a more risk-based trichinella testing regime.
What is the purpose of this consultation?
Our plans for implementation are at an advanced stage, building on extensive discussions we have had with stakeholders, including industry groups and enforcement colleagues. The purpose of this consultation is to seek stakeholder views on the practical application of the changes in the UK and to determine whether the FSA's assumptions are a fair reflection of costs, benefits and wider impacts for stakeholders. The overall objective is to ensure that the controls are proportionate and risk-based, taking into account the latest scientific evidence and information and views from producers and consumers, and continue to provide public health, animal health and animal welfare protection.
Consultation details
From June 2014, directly applicable EU legislation introduces three changes of direct relevance for pig slaughterhouses. They are:
The changes are based on scientific evidence from the European Food Safety Authority, which identified that microbiological and parasitic contamination are the key hazards from pig meat and that traditional inspection measures are not effective at controlling these hazards. The changes aim to better protect public health in line with this evidence, and to provide a more risk-based and proportionate system.
The new regulations were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 8 March 2014:
