Consumers at risk from contaminated and diseased meat

The public could be at risk of eating contaminated and diseased meat because of failings at slaughterhouses, according to a survey of meat hygiene inspectors published today (Sunday) by UNISON. The findings – summarised in the report A Raw Deal – highlight concerns that contaminated and diseased meat could be cleared as fit for human consumption. It found that virtually every meat hygiene inspector surveyed (98%) said that the meat industry couldn’t be trusted to ensure no faecal contamination was present before meat was sold on to consumers. In addition, 96% of the inspectors thought that staff directly employed by the meat industry couldn’t be trusted to recognise and remove diseased sections of meat. Currently most meat hygiene inspectors are employed independently of slaughterhouses. They examine every carcass to ensure that contaminated meat does not find its way onto supermarket shelves, or into restaurant and household kitchens. However, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) plans to cut back on its inspectors which would leave the meat industry conducting more of its own safety controls, warns UNISON. The report also revealed major concerns about the FSA’s impartiality, says UNISON. The vast majority of inspectors (86%) said they did not believe the FSA was truly independent of the meat industry. This perception was further illustrated with only 24% saying that the FSA encouraged them to report meat safety breaches. The survey of meat hygiene inspectors also paint...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release dave prentis meat hygiene meat inspection meat inspectors Source Type: news