15 July 1999: MEAT HYGIENE - Government / Industry Working Group on Meat Hygiene: Review of Progress

Government / Industry Working Group on Meat Hygiene: Review of Progress (Report No. 3)

A report which details the action taken by Government, and by the meat industry to drive up hygiene standards in British abattoirs was made publicly available today.

The report reviews the progress made between November 1998 and April 1999 in implementing the recommendations of the Government / Industry Working Group on Meat Hygiene. These were published in September 1997 in the Forward Programmes for the Red Meat and Poultry Industries.

The Agriculture Minister, Nick Brown said:
"The third Review of Progress shows that a concerted effort continues to be made by those involved in all aspects of meat production to further implement the recommendations of the Government / Industry Working Group on Meat Hygiene. It is important that the impetus to fully implement the Working Group's recommendations is not lost. Public health is of the utmost importance and the meat production industry must strive to achieve the very highest standards of hygiene within our slaughterhouses. My officials will continue to work with industry on the recommendations as a matter of priority, and I have asked to see a further progress report in November. "

The main areas of progress reported are:

• The publication by MAFF of two free clean livestock guidance booklets for beef cattle producers and sheep farmers in November 1998;
• The continued promotion of the Clean Livestock Policy to all those involved in livestock production by means of adverts in the farming press, posters at livestock markets and stands at agricultural shows;
• A further decrease in the average amount of dung and dirt contamination on UK and Irish cattle hides delivered to UK tanneries, from 1.07 kg in 1997/98 to 0.91 kg in 1998/99 (Source: British Leather Confederation's winter dung survey 1998/99);
• The setting up of a sub-group of the Government / Industry Working Group on Meat Hygiene with the aim of reducing Salmonella in live poultry flocks.
• The Microbiology Sub-Group of the Government / Industry Working Group on Meat Hygiene met for the first time in April to consider a proposal from the European Commission on microbiological monitoring of hygiene measures within abattoirs, and to discuss the results of a survey on microbiological tests currently carried out in GB abattoirs.
• Completion of HACCP training for all MHS operational staff.
• The launch of the Meat Training Council's basic Meat Safety Certificate and associated training package on 25 November 1998.

The Government / Industry Working Group on Meat Hygiene was set up in March 1997 to co-ordinate the drive towards consistently high standards of hygiene in abattoirs. The Group is comprised of representatives from the meat industry, officials from the UK Agriculture Departments, the Department of Health, Department for Education and Employment, meat industry bodies and others. A full list is printed in the Review document.

The Forward Programmes made a number of recommendations aimed at ensuring consistently high standards in abattoirs and poultry plants. The main ones were:

• tightening up the standards of cleanliness for livestock being presented for slaughter in line with the MHS Clean Livestock Policy;
• the implementation of HACCP in slaughterhouses on a voluntary basis;
• the establishment of an industry-wide hygiene training and certification scheme, drawn up by the Meat Training Council;
• adoption of appropriate measures to ensure the health of poultry flocks, including Salmonella testing;
• consideration of the potential use of process treatments.

Previous Reviews of Progress detailing the action taken on the Working Group's recommendations between September 1997 and October 1998, were published in July and November 1998. The Government / Industry Working Group's Forward Programmes for the Poultry Industry (PB 3247) and the Red Meat Industry (PB 3248), the Clean Livestock Policy (PB 3250), Clean Sheep for Slaughter' (PB 4102) and Clean Beef Cattle for Slaughter (PB 4103) are all available free of charge from MAFF Publications, Admail 6000, London SW1A 2XX (Tel: 0645 556000).