UK food regulators launch nationwide meat processing review

Food regulators are launching a nationwide review of UK meat processing plants after discovering serious non-compliance practices at meat suppliers Russell Hume and 2 Sisters.

In a joint statement by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), respective chairs Heather Hancock and Ross Finnie commented on the severity of the incidents, suggesting that rules on the meat sector must be respected as they are vital for consumer safety and public trust in food.

“In the light of these recent incidents, the FSA and FSS will be taking forward reviews of cutting plants and cold stores used for meat,” the chairs said in the statement. “Further details will be published later this month and the results will be fully available to the public.”

A committee of MPs criticised the FSA recently for failing to take definitive action to improve food standards.

“We are disappointed with the lack of definite action taken by the FSA [Food Standards Agency] and wider government to date,” said committee chairman Neil Parish in a letter to the parliamentary undersecretary of state for public health Steve Brine. “We trust that the further response we receive by 17 February will be more thorough in setting out the concrete steps the government will be taking.”

The letter referred specifically to the funding approval for the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit by the Treasury, as well as a written agreement that the FSA will use all available data to identify failings in health standards and hygiene practices.

The government has since pledged to install CCTV in all meat processing plants.

Russell Hume and 2 Sisters

The FSA is currently investigating Russell Hume over its internal food management system and practices concerning its ‘use by’ dates.

FSA chief executive Jason Feeney said: “Our investigation into the major non-compliances we found at the Russell Hume plants in England and Scotland is intensifying. We have already stopped these plants producing meat products, have ensured the withdrawal and disposal of the products and now we are looking at the root cause of the incident and any culpability.”

Feeney commented that while there have been no cases of illness from Russell Hume chicken products, the FSA would continue to work with relevant public health agencies in its investigation.

Meanwhile, undercover footage released by the Guardian and ITV last year led to 2 Sisters closing its West Bromwich chicken plant for five weeks. Video evidence showed poultry being returned to the production line after being dropped on the floor and one instance of label changes to indicate slaughters occurred more recently than they actually did.

In response, 2 Sisters denied that the footage showed food safety breaches and the temporary shutdown was due to processing failures. Only a few isolated incidents of non-compliance have been recorded by the internal quality management system, according to 2 Sisters. The FSA launched its own investigation into 2 Sisters.