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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Farm inspections should be relaxed, ministers told | Farm inspections should be relaxed, ministers told |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Ministers have been urged to relax inspections of farms and food processors amid claims that enforcement of regulations is "unnecessarily time-consuming and disruptive" for the industry, despite the recent public outcry over horsemeat found in beef products. | Ministers have been urged to relax inspections of farms and food processors amid claims that enforcement of regulations is "unnecessarily time-consuming and disruptive" for the industry, despite the recent public outcry over horsemeat found in beef products. |
| A special taskforce set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to advise on farming regulation wants the government to reduce the number of inspections for farmers who have had good reports or are part of quality assurance schemes, and to outsource inspections to assurance schemes or private agencies. | A special taskforce set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to advise on farming regulation wants the government to reduce the number of inspections for farmers who have had good reports or are part of quality assurance schemes, and to outsource inspections to assurance schemes or private agencies. |
| The advice has prompted concern among environmental and animal welfare campaigners who claim too many scandals have been uncovered at farms covered by assurance schemes – including one of the firms implicated in the horsemeat scandal, which was part of an independent initiative that was licensed to award the popular Red Tractor mark. | The advice has prompted concern among environmental and animal welfare campaigners who claim too many scandals have been uncovered at farms covered by assurance schemes – including one of the firms implicated in the horsemeat scandal, which was part of an independent initiative that was licensed to award the popular Red Tractor mark. |
| Assured Food Standards, which controls the Red Tractor logo, includes board membership for the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and Dairy UK, all of whom represent different farming interests. Outsourcing inspections to such an organisation would in effect put farmers in charge of inspecting themselves. | Assured Food Standards, which controls the Red Tractor logo, includes board membership for the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and Dairy UK, all of whom represent different farming interests. Outsourcing inspections to such an organisation would in effect put farmers in charge of inspecting themselves. |
| Another joint industry-government group – referred to by the taskforce – is looking at "flexibilities" in European regulations to reduce the burden on food producers, including "examining how meat plants could benefit from reduced attendance of Official Veterinarians (vets)" – something it says "should deliver significant savings to meat processors". | Another joint industry-government group – referred to by the taskforce – is looking at "flexibilities" in European regulations to reduce the burden on food producers, including "examining how meat plants could benefit from reduced attendance of Official Veterinarians (vets)" – something it says "should deliver significant savings to meat processors". |
| Unannounced spot-checks on farmers are crucial to avoid the risk that they would "tidy up" ahead of inspections, said Joyce D'Silva, ambassador for Compassion in World Farming, an animal welfare campaign group. "Cutting back on animal welfare is going against the grain of what people want," said D'Silva. "They want to know how animals are cared for and that the animals are getting a decent level of treatment." | Unannounced spot-checks on farmers are crucial to avoid the risk that they would "tidy up" ahead of inspections, said Joyce D'Silva, ambassador for Compassion in World Farming, an animal welfare campaign group. "Cutting back on animal welfare is going against the grain of what people want," said D'Silva. "They want to know how animals are cared for and that the animals are getting a decent level of treatment." |
| Details of the deregulation proposals emerge on the day the food regulator said it would ask consumers if they will accept traces of horsemeat in their food if it proves too costly and technically difficult to check robustly thoroughly for levels of contamination under 1%. | Details of the deregulation proposals emerge on the day the food regulator said it would ask consumers if they will accept traces of horsemeat in their food if it proves too costly and technically difficult to check robustly thoroughly for levels of contamination under 1%. |
| Catherine Brown, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency, revealed on Tuesday that special citizens' forums were being established to gauge the "consumer acceptability" of low levels of other species' DNA in beef, pork or other meats. | Catherine Brown, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency, revealed on Tuesday that special citizens' forums were being established to gauge the "consumer acceptability" of low levels of other species' DNA in beef, pork or other meats. |
| Twenty products in the UK are have so far been found to have 1% or above higher levels of horse DNA following more than 5,400 industry tests and more than 6,000 in all. But Brown told the FSA board that contamination of horse and pork had also been found at "very low" levels in processed beef . | Twenty products in the UK are have so far been found to have 1% or above higher levels of horse DNA following more than 5,400 industry tests and more than 6,000 in all. But Brown told the FSA board that contamination of horse and pork had also been found at "very low" levels in processed beef . |
| At present, the FSA was using a 1% level as "pragmatic". She added: "The question we want to explore is what levels are achievable, detectable and acceptable." Brown said the Laboratory of the Government Chemist was looking at what levels of crossover contamination could occur in "a well-run and hygienic plant". | At present, the FSA was using a 1% level as "pragmatic". She added: "The question we want to explore is what levels are achievable, detectable and acceptable." Brown said the Laboratory of the Government Chemist was looking at what levels of crossover contamination could occur in "a well-run and hygienic plant". |
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