CFG
16/05
Letter dated 29 July
2005 from Foodaware to Sylvia Ankrah, Red Meat and Strategy Branch,
Food Standards Agency:
Dear Miss Ankrah
Draft Guide to food safety and other regulations for the meat
industry
Foodaware welcomes the establishment of the Guide to Food Safety and
other Regulations for the Meat Industry. We are happy that with the
implementation of the new Food Hygiene Regulations there will be guidance
to the Food Industry. We, therefore, welcome this specific guide for
the meat sector. The specific questions raised on Parts 1 and 2 of
the Guide are specific to users in the meat sector, and as such we
have no specific comment.
In setting out the legal obligations that apply to food business operators
in the meat sector, along with advice on how these may be met, we
hope that it will be beneficial to industry and consumers alike and
ensure a final product which is as risk free as possible. With changes
to the Over Thirty Month Rule for cattle and the new hygiene regulations,
the meat industry will face significant challenges in the coming months.
It is vitally important that business operators acknowledge the new
requirements and work with the MHS and FSA to ensure that their systems
enable them routinely to supply meat produced in compliance with the
legislative requirements. To this end, expertise in introducing and
following HACCP plans will be necessary for all firms, and their application
may require culture change in plants.
We welcome the obligation on enforcement officials to carry out audits
of HACCP and good hygiene practices that verify food business operators
apply procedures continuously and properly. We hope that this will
create a ‘ level playing field ‘ across the meat sector
and at the same time allow for some flexibility for small businesses.
Options to do things differently are welcomed as long as the outcome
is the same and hygiene standards are met.
Foodaware is content for this response to be made publicly available.
Yours sincerely
Susan Knox
Chairperson
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