§ Judy MallaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Food Standards Agency has to provide guidance to those involved in the meat trade to(a) improve self-regulation and (b) assist the trade in identifying criminal activity in the distribution of poultry waste. [137585]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) has assisted meat trade organisations in preparing and publicising the Industry Code of Practice on the Production, Handling and Processing of Animal By-Products. The FSA will also in December be discussing with other food trade organisations what further action can be taken to identify and prevent fraudulent diversion of unfit meat into the food chain. In addition, the FSA is commissioning a study into the possible use of a marker in low risk animal by-products, which will enable both industry and enforcers to detect meat which is unfit or not intended for human consumption, but does not prevent the legitimate use of such material, for example, in pet food.
§ Judy MallaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is planned to ensure effective policing of the segregation of high and low risk waste at poultry slaughterhouses and its distribution from slaughterhouses; and what plans he has to provide extra resources to the Meat Hygiene Service for this purpose. [137586]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revised its instructions to the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) on the enforcement of animal by-products legislation, and the FSA is auditing the MHS's performance against those instructions. In addition, as part of the FSA's action plan to implement the recommendations of the Waste Food Task Force, the Agency is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the MHS to produce a new, joint, risk-based regime for enforcement of animal by-products legislation in licensed premises. This will make best use of existing enforcement expenditure. In addition to this, the FSA is currently considering the case for extra expenditure for animal by-products enforcement in licensed premises as part of its review of MHS functions.