HC Deb 27 April 1995 vol 258 cc687-8W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the increases in fees levied by the Meat Hygiene Service [20818]

Mrs. Browning

We have received representations about the Meat Hygiene Service's charges from a number of organisations and individuals. The meat Hygiene Service is now consulting plant operators on proposed revised charges following the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Atkinson) on 29 March,Official Report, columns 653–54, about the transitional relief we are minded to make available.

Mrs. Gorman

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the reasons why the imposition of new meat hygiene regulations over the past two years has not brought about a reduction in cases of salmonella typhimurium DT 104C and what has been the increase in that period; [20822]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of expenditure on the new Meat Hygiene Service on trends on the number of food poisoning cases over the course of the year. [20821]

Mrs. Browning

The number of food poisoning cases has continued to rise over recent years but the number of cases of salmonella typhimurium DT 104C has fallen from 25 in 1993 to nine in 1994. The incidence of salmonella typhimurium DT 104 has risen in humans over the same period from 808 to 2,873 and I believe it is this to which my hon. Friend refers. Salmonella typhimurium DT 104 has been implicated in some food poisoning incidents associated with the consumption of meat and meat products but there is no strong evidence of a direct link.

Thorough cooking will destroy most, if not all, pathogenic micro-organisms, but steps must be taken to limit the risk of cross-contamination, particularly from raw meat to other foods which may not be cooked before consumption.

The slaughterhouse is an important area where steps can be taken to address the problem of cross-contamination between carcases, in order to reduce the incidence of pathogenic micro-organisms entering the distribution chain.

The Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992 have improved hygiene standards generally in slaughterhouses and other licensed fresh meat premises and the Meat Hygiene Service will build on this success. It is difficult, however, to make a direct quantitative link between the enforcement of these regulations and the level of occurrence of any food poisoning, including by salmonella typhimurium DT 104.