British Meat Processors Association
British Meat Processors Association
Foodex exhibition hall

BMPA at Foodex: Food safety tools and tactics

Foodex 2018 is fast approaching and we’re examining one of the topics that Nick Allen, Chief Executive of BMPA, will be debating as part of an expert panel.

Following recent meat scares, tools such as CCTV, enhanced audits and increased site presence of auditors have been explored as ways to strengthen consumer confidence in food safety. How valuable are these tools? Which can we realistically expect to see used more frequently? How can technology help and what limits the success of tools and processes?

We have written previously about issues surrounding the current auditing and inspection system. In that article we explored what needs to happen to improve the targeting and effectiveness of the system in exposing food fraud and improving consumer confidence.

This article concentrates on one of the measures that industry will be taking to improve internal systems and safeguards: the soon-to-be mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in all abattoirs and cutting plants.

It is expected that granting Official Veterinarians access to 90 days worth of footage will prove to be a key weapon in cracking down on bad practices.

This has been almost unanimously received as a valuable step forward in maintaining the highest possible animal welfare and hygiene standards across the meat industry. The Food Standards Agency will have much more power to detect and punish breaches. And, it is expected that granting Official Veterinarians access to 90 days worth of footage will prove to be a key weapon in cracking down on bad practices.

Of course, this new CCTV legislation will impact some businesses more than others. Commenting on the new rules, BMPA Chief Executive, Nick Allen said: “Our members have been using CCTV for a number of years and BMPA and AIMS issued a joint statement in 2015 supporting its use as one of many tools available to help Food Business Operators protect animal welfare.”

He went on to confirm that: “all the industry associations signed up to a protocol developed by the BMPA and agreed by the FSA to give Official Veterinarians random daily access to CCTV footage as part of their verification checks” adding that “we expect that system to form the backbone of how CCTV is used when it becomes mandatory in all abattoirs.”

Join Nick Allen along with independent food industry consultant Anthony Bagshaw, Phil Brook (Compassion in World Farming), Charles Mason (Humane Slaughter Association) and Jason Feeney (Food Standards Agency) for the debate at Foodex, 18 April at 12:30pm.

PANEL: Food safety tools and tactics: winning consumer confidence
Wednesday 18 April 12:30 – 1pm, Centre Stage

About BMPA

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) is the leading trade association for the meat and meat products industry in the UK.

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