Meat processors rubbish FSA plans to stop operations pending appeal
Key players in the UK meat processing industry have spoken out against the Food Standard Agency's (FSA) plan to stop firms operating whilst waiting for the outcome of non-compliance case appeals.
The FSA says that in order to comply with public health and EU regulations, non-compliant firms should no longer have the right to operate pending appeal decisions. An FSA spokesperson confirmed:
However, this proposed change has angered a number of meat processing chiefs, including the director of policy at the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, Norman Bagley. Mr Bagley believes that the reason for the change is not down to public health concerns or the need to comply with EU regulations, but because of the length of time it takes for cases to reach appeal. He says:
The FSA says that in order to comply with public health and EU regulations, non-compliant firms should no longer have the right to operate pending appeal decisions. An FSA spokesperson confirmed:
"EU legislation does not provide a right for food business operators (that are non-compliant with feed/food law) to continue operating pending the outcome of an appeal."
However, this proposed change has angered a number of meat processing chiefs, including the director of policy at the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, Norman Bagley. Mr Bagley believes that the reason for the change is not down to public health concerns or the need to comply with EU regulations, but because of the length of time it takes for cases to reach appeal. He says:
"That has mostly been due to the FSA's own lawyers arguing that the courts should not take into account any improvements an operator has made since his approval was withdrawn. The courts have now rejected that notion most appeals are never heard, because operators carry out the improvements needed and the FSA restores the approval."
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