Farming

Industry-wide review for meat processing

Published

7 years ago

March 22, 2018

Far-reaching: Review due to report in June

THE FOOD Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland are publishing details of a major review into the sites where meat products are processed and stored in the UK.

The review includes a comprehensive review of hygiene controls and unannounced inspections and audit regimes.

Jason Feeney and Geoff Ogle, Chief Executives of the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland respectively, jointly commented: “We are concerned about recent instances of companies breaching hygiene rules. People rightly expect food businesses to keep to the rules, rules designed to keep consumers safe and to sustain public trust in food – and food businesses have a duty to follow the regulations. Our review will be far reaching and thorough and we will announce our initial findings in June.”

“We are pleased that the meat industry representatives who we met with have pledged their full and effective engagement with the review.”

The review being launched today will aim to:

Increase public and stakeholder confidence in the meat industry and its regulation
Improve the ability to identify non-compliance and take prompt action to minimise the risk to public health and food safety
Assess how the industry currently operates across the whole supply chain.
Increase awareness of circumstances and factors which can lead to non-compliance

The scope of the review will incorporate:

All types of cutting plants (red meat, white meat and game)
How the current legislation works and the guidance supporting it
How the ‘official controls’ are carried out which must be followed to ensure compliance with hygiene legislative requirements (this includes audits, inspections, sampling and surveillance)
The roles and responsibilities of food businesses, regulators and assurance bodies
How incidents are managed and responded to

The recent investigation into 2 Sisters Food Group has been extensive and thorough and looked across their poultry sites.

500 hours of CCTV from the site were examined along with audit information from major retailers. The company voluntarily ceased production at one site whilst changes were made and staff re-trained. The FSA have had a permanent presence at their cutting plants for the last four months.

Jason Feeney, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency said: “Our investigation found some areas for improvement but the issues were resolved promptly by the company, who co-operated fully, and at no point did we find it necessary to take formal enforcement action.”

“The business has made a wide range of improvements across all their sites to improve processes. They are already publishing the outcomes of all their audits and are in the process of installing high quality CCTV across their estate that we will have full access to. These are measures we would like the whole industry to adopt.”

Farming

Lucky escape for cows as livestock trailer overturns on M4

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THREE cows had a lucky escape on Monday morning (May 12) after the livestock trailer they were travelling in overturned on the M4 near Pont Abraham.

The incident took place at around 10:38am on the westbound carriageway and involved a pick-up truck towing a livestock box, which flipped onto its side.

Crews from Ammanford and Llanelli fire stations were called to the scene and worked to make the area safe. The animals were successfully transferred into a replacement trailer that was brought in to recover them.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the cows were unharmed in the incident. The fire crews left the scene at 11:27am.

The overturned trailer caused temporary disruption to traffic while the road was cleared.

Photo caption:

Lucky escape: Fire crews attended the overturned livestock trailer near Pont Abraham on Monday morning (Pic: MWWFRS)

Crime

Llangadog man charged over livestock theft near Llandysul

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A LLANGADOG man has been charged in connection with the theft of dozens of sheep from a farm near Llandysul.

Hywel Williams, aged 40, was arrested on March 25 following a report that between 70 and 75 lambing ewes had been stolen from the Rhydlewis area earlier that month.

Following a detailed investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team, Williams was formally charged with theft on May 10.

He is due to appear at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court for a first hearing on Wednesday, May 28.

Sergeant Paul Roberts of the Rural Crime Team said: “The arrest and charge of Hywel Williams demonstrates to our farming communities that all allegations of livestock theft will be fully investigated.

“Legal proceedings are now underway, and it is important that the case is allowed to progress without further public commentary.”

Livestock theft remains a serious issue for rural communities, and Dyfed-Powys Police continues to urge anyone with information relating to rural crime to come forward.

Farming

Welsh farming’s challenges discussed with Shadow Cabinet Secretary

Published

5 days ago

May 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

EARLIER this week, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) met with Welsh Conservatives Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Education and Rural Affairs, Samuel Kurtz MS to discuss the changes and challenges facing Welsh agriculture.

The meeting followed the announcement earlier this month that the Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire Senedd Member, had been reappointed as the party’s Rural Affairs spokesperson, having previously held the portfolio between 2021 and 2024.

With a year to go until the Senedd elections, the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss a range of issues facing Welsh agriculture, including the continued impact of bovine TB, the implementation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations, and the future of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, which is due to be announced later this year.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the ongoing concerns over the UK Government’s changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) outlined in the Autumn Budget.

The FUW’s own analysis suggests as many as 48% of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) recipients in Wales could be affected by the changes,with the union warning the changes could have devastating impact on family farms and food production.

Commenting following the meeting, FUW President, Ian Rickman said: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet Samuel in the Senedd, and congratulate him on his re-appointment to the Rural Affairs portfolio. Through his farming background, Sam has an in-depth understanding of the sector and the many issues we face, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with him over the coming months.

“At a time when Welsh farmers are facing a perfect storm of changes and challenges, the meeting provided a useful meeting to discuss many of these aspects further – including the NVZs, SFS, and the dark shadow bovine TB continues to cast over the Welsh farming sector.”

Commenting, Samuel Kurtz MS added: “Our farmers are the backbone of our communities. They don’t just produce our food, they support our rural economy, uphold Welsh culture, and care for our countryside. I will always stand up for farmers across Wales and continue to fight for a future in which agriculture can thrive.

“I have been consistent that farming needs a friend, and I will continue to be that friend to farming in Wales.”