§ Lord Rowallanasked Her Majesty's Government:
What expenditure and how much time is being expended by officials of the Meat Hygiene Service on its integration into the Food Standards Agency; and whether the meat industry should be contributing to the set-up costs of the Agency by this means when the rest of the food industry is now being relieved of charges. [HL3112]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue)Two additional short term appointments have been made to the administration staff at MHS headquarters in York. They are responsible to the MHS Chief Executive for taking forward the programme of work that is being identified to achieve the successful transfer of the MHS into the Food Standards Agency. The costs of these staff are being met by the Government and are not a charge on the industry.
§ Lord Addingtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What studies they have carried out to assess the effect of increasing the transport distance between slaughterhouses and farms on the depletion of post-mortem glycogen levels in cattle; and whether those effects have any significant influence on the terminal pH levels in the deep muscle of finished carcasses and the microbiological quality of those carcasses. [HL3028]
§ Lord DonoughueA recent MAFF-funded review of the scientific literature pertinent to the road transport of cattle found that the major influence of transport on lean meat quality is through the depletion of muscle glycogen stores by physical activity and physical stress. If glycogen levels are reduced, the decrease in pH, which occurs after slaughter, is also reduced. As a result, the resistance of the meat to microbial action, and thus its keeping quality, are also reduced. The review also found that journey time is generally more important than the distance covered.
48WAReference: KNOWLES, T. G. (1999) A review of the road transport of cattle. Veterinary Record 144, 197–201.
§ Lord Willoughby de Brokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether veterinary surgeons are given any specific training to enable them to assess the content and adequacy of slaughterhouse training schemes and their execution during the course for conversion to Official Veterinary Surgeons; and what criteria are used in the assessment of these schemes. [HL2963]
§ Lord DonoughueThe legislation specifies that occupiers of licensed premises should arrange or establish in consultation with Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs), a programme to train their staff in the hygiene requirements specific to those operations carried out at their premises.
No specific training in assessing the content and adequacy of slaughterhouse training schemes is given to OVSs as part of the OVS course. However, in order to pass the course, veterinary surgeons have to demonstrate that they have a thorough understanding of the hygiene requirements specified within the Operations Manual. This knowledge puts them in good stead to assist occupiers of licensed premises in establishing appropriate training programmes for their staff.
§ Lord Willoughby de Brokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action is expected of Meat Hygiene Technicians when they find Specified Risk Material (SRM) attached to a bovine carcass to which an official health mark has been applied; and what measures are in place to ensure that the expected action is in fact carried out. [HL2965]
§ Lord DonoughueThey would be expected to report the incident to the Official Veterinary Surgeon so that an investigation and appropriate action could be undertaken.
All Specified Risk Material (SRM) controls are subject to intensive audit to ensure full compliance.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
What studies they have carried out on the effect of frequent handwashing on the skin of slaughtermen's hands in terms of its effect on (a) resident microflora and (b) transient microflora; what effect excessive handwashing may have on the inherent antimicrobial properties of the skin; and whether any such studies have guided the requirements for handwashing imposed by Official Veterinary Surgeons for slaughtermen engaged in meat production. [HL3010]
§ Lord DonoughueNo such studies have been carried out. The requirements for slaughtermen to keep as clean as may be reasonably possible by thorough and frequent washing are set out in Schedule 7 of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995, as amended.