THE NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE HIGHTLIGHT FSA SHORTCOMINGS, BUT MEAT INSPECTIONS GO TO TENDER

The National Audit Office report of June 12, 2019 about the Food Standard Agency (FSA) stated the following:
 
“The level of funding local authorities allocate to food controls has been declining for a number of years. Funding for food controls has reduced since we last examined food regulation in 2013. Local authority expenditure data show that their spending on food hygiene fell by an estimated 19% between 2012-13 and 2017-18, from £125 million to £101 million. The reduction has been driven by significant funding pressures faced by local authorities coupled with increased demand for other services. Food hygiene staff numbers declined by an estimated 13% (per 1,000 food businesses) between 2012-13 and 2017-18, and the number of food standards staff fell by an estimated 45%. Our analysis shows that local authorities in England have fewer food officers per 1,000 food businesses than the devolved administrations”.

“Some local authorities are failing to meet statutory objectives to conduct interventions. Interventions (including inspections) are aimed at ensuring food businesses comply with food law. In each year since 2012-13, English local authorities failed to carry out all the hygiene and standards interventions of food businesses that were ‘due’ (as set down in the Food Law Code of Practice). The proportion of hygiene interventions due that were carried out rose between 2012-13 and 2017-18, from 82% to 86%. However, the number of food standards interventions due that were undertaken remained below 50% each year, with 37% carried out in 2017-18. Local authorities we spoke to attributed delays to staffing shortages and there is wide variation nationally, with some local authorities struggling significantly to keep on top of their workload”.

“The FSA is attempting to address deficiencies in the information available
to assess and manage risks, but its new approach has yet to be tested. The FSA and local authorities use food sample testing as a source of intelligence, and to enhance their understanding of food risks, as well as the basis for enforcement action. Between 2012-13 and 2017 the level of sampling fell by 34%, and in 2017-18, 16 English local authorities did not carry out any sampling. In April 2019 the FSA started to introduce a new approach to assessing food risks, which aims to make better use of a broad range of data. It is also developing a strategy on the role of sampling within this, but has not yet set out detailed plans of its future approach or communicated this to local authorities”.

“The regulatory system lacks the full range of enforcement powers to ensure businesses supply safe food. An effective regulatory regime is underpinned by appropriate enforcement powers that enable food officers to take effective action when businesses fall short of legislative requirements. The FSA’s National Food Crime Unit was given additional resources in 2018 to tackle food fraud. It has agreed arrangements to work with police forces because it currently lacks the full range of investigative powers it needs to operate independently. Legislation is required to provide access to additional powers. Local authorities also identified other areas where they felt their powers were limited”.

On 9thJuly 2019 the Daily Mirror reported that one in five meat products contain animals that are not stated on the packaging. (Link below to this story).

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/meat-label-lies-mean-1-17548707
 
On the 21stJune 2019, the Government, on behalf of the FSA, put Meat Hygiene Service inspections out to tender again. (link below):
 
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/87e31c3a-dbfb-483a-aa15-ad7b6d27b627?p=@FQxUlRRPT0=NjJNT08=U

However, on 18thJune this year, the Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSS), announced the transferof Official Veterinarians and Meat Hygiene Inspection Function, to the FSS (Scotland has its own agency). They stated:

“Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has taken the difficult decision to end its contract with Hallmark Meat Hygiene Ltd. Hallmark supplies Official Veterinarians and Meat Hygiene Inspectors to undertake controls to support Scotland’s important meat, game and poultry industries. 

FSS will deliver this function from 16 September 2019, and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) will be applied to determine whether Hallmark staff are in scope to transfer to FSS. This decision was taken after careful consideration of all the options. 

FSS’s primary objective remains to ensure that the high safety and animal welfare standards in Scotland’s meat industry are not compromised, and that consumers’ interests are protected”.

The FSA covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has never, in any consultation etc, ever received over 215,000 votes (as this petition has) in favour of any subject- yet they are still failing to listen.

They have failed to deliver in England on simple legislation such as a statutory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, to inform consumers of how food businesses are performing in relation to food hygiene.  This is however a legal requirement in Wales & Northern Ireland & Scotland. In England, the FSA has had nearly nine years to introduce it, yet they have failed to do so.

Having watched the BBC programme on the 11thJuly about the outbreak of Mad Cow disease (link below), it reminded my family how at that time, the Government appeared to be more interested in protecting the Food industry rather than the consumer.

This story reveals that problems may still occur with BSE (Mad Cow disease) as the incubation period for such illness can be up to thirty years.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0006p49/mad-cow-disease-the-great-british-beef-scandal

As the FSA was set up in 2000 to protect the consumer from such diseases, they don’t appear to have learned anything from this history.

The petition and fight go on. Thank you all for your continued support!